Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Science

Envisioning the next 150 years of crop research with the Alma Mater Plots

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...

Envisioning the next 150 years of crop research with the Alma Mater Plots
Image: Phys.org
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.

Originally published at Phys.org

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