The Old Rotation agricultural experiment is the oldest continuous cotton culture study in the world. It was established on the campus of what is now Auburn University in 1896 and has been a leader in developing modern cotton farming techniques.
Auburn University's "Old Rotation"
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THE OLD ROTATION
Established in 1896 by Professor J. F. Duggar, the Old Rotation at Auburn University is: (1) the oldest continuous cotton experiment in the U.S.; (2) the 3rd oldest continuous field crop experiment in the U.S.; and (3) the 1st experiment to demonstrate the benefits of rotating cotton with other crops to improve yields and utilize nitrogen-restoring legumes in a cotton-production system. It continues to document the long-term effect of these rotations in the same soil.
The Old Rotation consists of 13 plots on 1 acre of land. Each plot is a different crop rotation of cotton with corn, summer legumes, winter legumes, and fertilizer nitrogen.
National Register of Historic Places, January 14, 1988.
Photo courtesy of the College of Agriculture, Auburn University
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