Envisioning the next 150 years of crop research with the Alma Mater Plots Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor 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.

The research team has spent the past year assembling a diverse advisory board and seeking input directly from Illinois agriculturalists. Ping-ponging across the state, they have conducted more than a dozen focus groups to date—attended by more than 140 farmers—and they are still going. Margenot plans to gather feedback from farmers, as well as industry and policy stakeholders, through the end of 2026.

Sanjay Sofat, environmental policy director for the Illinois Farm Bureau, is on the advisory board for the Alma Mater Plots. He appreciates Margenot's thorough approach to gathering information from farmers. "There's a huge disconnect around the realities of farming.

People make comments like, 'Hey, farmers should do XYZ,' without really understanding what it entails to adopt new practices," he said. "Farmers have to worry about and assess risk around financing new equipment, weather constraints, and so many other issues. By designing this experiment based on farmers' input, we hope farmers will feel more comfortable adopting practices that benefit the land and their bottom lines." Morrow Plots 2.0 The Alma Mater Plots are designed to carry the tradition of the historic Morrow Plots forward for future generations.

Celebrating their 150th year in 2026, U. of I.'s Morrow Plots are the second-oldest continuously running agricultural experiment in the world. "The whole point of the Morrow Plots was to address questions that Illinois farmers had, as part of our land-grant mission," said ACES Dean Germán Bollero.

"That's how it really began. They invited farmers to campus for extension days at the Morrow Plots. It was a big deal for the farm community.

We're trying to bring that back for the next 150 years." The current iteration of the Morrow Plots—a single acre (0.4 hectares) with 24 subplots—can fit inside one of the 64 Alma Mater subplots.