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 experime nt 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. ...read more read less