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Scotts Bluff, Nebraska

Knorr-Holden Continuous Corn Plot


Knorr-Holden Continuous Corn Plot
Knorr-Holden Continuous Corn Plot
National Park Service

The Knorr-Holden Continuous Corn Plot has played an important role in the educational agriculture research conducted at the University of Nebraska's Scottsbluff Experiment Station, now part of the University of Nebraska’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center. Since its establishment in 1912, the plot has been the source of valuable information about the ecology, environmental impact, soil management practices, and production principles of long-term continuously irrigated corn. The research done on this half-acre plot has played a critical role in advancing the farming techniques used in western Nebraska.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the vast and sparsely occupied Scotts Bluff region was a promising site for homesteaders. Settlers soon realized, however, that rainfall in western Nebraska was not sufficient or reliable enough for growing crops. Farmers recognized irrigation as the solution to their water needs. In the 1900s and 1910s, various groups developed many new canal and irrigation systems. Although these efforts opened large acreage to irrigation, many farmers lacked experience managing irrigated crops grown in the sandy soils of the valley.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) soon understood that farmers would need to successfully and correctly implement new techniques to farm the irrigated lands. To facilitate research and disseminate information to area farmers, the Scottsbluff Experiment Station was established in 1910. In 1912, an extensive series of both irrigated and dry land rotation experiments began at the station. The Knorr-Holden Continuous Corn Plot is one of the oldest continuous field crop experiments in the United States.

Plan your visit

The Knorr-Holden Continuous Corn Plot is located at the Scottsbluff Experiment Station, now part of the University of Nebraska’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center, on Experiment Farm Road. To reach the farm, travel north from Scottsbluff, NE along NE 71, approximately four miles. Turn left onto Experiment Farm Rd. and travel approximately 1.5 miles. 

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