HISTORIC SANBORN FIELD
Established in 1888 as the Rotation Field by Dean J. W. Sanborn, Sanborn Field was
designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 along with the Duley-Miller Erosion
Plots also located on this campus. Sanborn Field is among the oldest continuous, long-
term research plots in the world and is the oldest experimental plot west of the
Mississippi River. Long-term, continuous research here has helped researchers discover
how agriculture and the environment interact. In 1948 researchers at Sanborn Field
isolated the fungus Streptomyces aureofaciens, the source of aureomycin, a first-
generation antibiotic. Other pioneering studies showed that manure is not a balanced,
complete source of nutrients and that the value of complete and balanced soil
management includes manure, ag lime, and commercial fertilizer to prevent soil
deterioration and maintain soil productivity. Long-term objectives of Sanborn Field are
rooted in the crop rotations and monocultures under continuous management here for
more than 100 years. Researchers continue to measure soil and crop changes in these
unique plots as they document crop response, soil physical properties, and nutrient
balance. Soil and plant samples taken continuously at Sanborn Field aid the study of
long-term environmental changes. As a living demonstration of interactions in the soil-
plant-environment continuum, Sanborn Field serves as an on-campus laboratory for
teaching.