Envisioning the Next 150 Years of Crop Research With the Alma Mater Plots

By Lauren Quinn

A couple of miles south of the main quad at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a remarkable agricultural experiment is taking shape. The so-called Alma Mater Plots are unique in their setup—with 64 plots of 1 acre (0.4 hectares) each, individually tile-drained, it is the largest experiment of its kind anywhere. To maximize the experiment's value to Illinois and Midwest agriculture, scientists are teaming up with farmers to decide what, exactly, to study.

"I was trained in an international ag development context in eastern Africa and South America, where we'd roll up to a region and spend a week or more acclimating. During that time, we'd just shut up and listen to understand what people perceive as problems. I thought, we do this a lot in international ag development, but why not here?

"In my opinion, you just do better science if you listen to the people who work the land," said Andrew Margenot, director of the Morrow Plots and Alma Mater Plots and a professor in the Department of Crop Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at U. of I.

Margenot's philosophy explains why the plots have been laid out for two years but long-term experimental treatments have not yet been finalized.