History

In 2026, the Morrow Plots mark 150 years of continuous discovery. What began in 1876 as an ambitious experiment has become the nation’s oldest research field and one of the most influential long-term agricultural studies in the world.

Located at the heart of campus and stewarded by the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, the Morrow Plots provide a rare, uninterrupted record of how agricultural systems evolve across generations. As both a National Historic Landmark and an active research site, they reflect the core of the land-grant mission — generating knowledge, educating future leaders, and serving the public good.

The Beginning of Forever

The origins of the Morrow Plots cannot be attributed to a single individual. The idea likely emerged from agricultural chemist Charles Wallace Silver, who visited England’s Rothamsted Field — the world’s oldest agricultural experiment field — and later proposed a long-term corn study on campus in 1875.

At the time, scientists debated whether Midwestern soils required fertilizer at all. Some believed crop rotation alone could release sufficient nutrients from the soil. These questions set the stage for the long-term experiments that followed.

Manly Miles, hired as a professor of agriculture in 1875, soon began a long-term corn experiment and proposed experimental plots to university leadership. Miles’ tenure ended after conflicts with Regent John Milton Gregory, and stewardship of the research passed to George Espy Morrow, Chair of Agriculture. The plots were later named in Morrow’s honor; he was the first to publish findings in 1888.

The earliest study, known as the Experiment 23 Rotation Study, documented cropping systems maintained for 14 years without fertilizer or manure. Based on this record, the experiment’s origins date back to 1876.

In 1968, the Morrow Plots were designated a National Historic Landmark, recognizing both their scientific impact and their symbolic significance on their 100th anniversary.

How the Morrow Plots Have Evolved

When the Morrow Plots were established in 1876, the experiment included ten half-acre fields designed to test how cropping systems affected soil productivity over time. As the university campus expanded, the footprint of the experiment changed. Two plots were removed in 1895 for construction of the university observatory, and five others were returned to grass in 1903. The three remaining plots were reduced in size and subdivided — a configuration that remains in place today.

While the physical layout evolved, the central research question has remained constant: how do farming practices shape crop productivity and soil health over time? The remaining plots represent different cropping systems, including continuous corn and multi-year crop rotations. Over the years, crop varieties and rotations have been updated to reflect changes in agricultural practice, including the shift from oats to soybeans and the adoption of modern hybrid crops.

Management practices have also changed as agricultural science has advanced. Early experiments relied on unfertilized soils, but researchers later introduced fertility treatments, such as manure, limestone, and phosphorus, to better understand nutrient requirements and declining yields. Improvements in drainage, planting methods, and fertilizer use were carefully incorporated to reflect practices used on Illinois farms.

A landmark gift from Bayer’s Crop Science division is supporting a revitalization project to prepare the Morrow Plots for the next 150 years of impact. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing agricultural innovation and ensuring the Morrow Plots remain a vital resource for future discovery.

Today, the Morrow Plots stand as a living record of agricultural change — documenting how evolving crops, technologies, and soil management practices shape productivity over generations. Though the experiment has adapted over time, its purpose remains unchanged: to advance knowledge that strengthens agriculture and supports responsible stewardship of the land.

Preserving This Living Laboratory

This historic acre has shaped the aesthetic and culture of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Plans for major buildings — including the Undergraduate Library (soon to become the Archives and Special Collections Building) and, later, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology — were modified to protect the plots and preserve the surrounding landscape. However, according to the library’s 1969 dedication ceremony, the decision was also due to “the importance of maintaining the open appearance of the campus landscape,” in keeping with the university’s Campus Master Plan.

The site has also intersected with moments of social change. During the Vietnam War era, student activists (later coined the “Morrow Plot Marauders”) reportedly targeted the plots to protest chemical warfare, though the incident ultimately led to dialogue rather than damage. In 2003, vandals created a man-made crop circle, reinforcing the site’s cultural visibility and longstanding campus lore.

A long-standing campus legend holds that any student who sets foot in the plots will be expelled — a claim that has never been confirmed or denied. It’s been said that even the Chancellor must make an appointment to enter.

Today, the Morrow Plots remain a living laboratory and a shared responsibility. The work begun here continues to advance knowledge in service to agriculture, communities, and the public good — reflecting the enduring purpose of the land-grant mission. As we steward this remarkable resource, the lessons cultivated in this acre of soil will continue to guide practice, inform discovery, and shape a more sustainable future for generations to come.