Timeline

1929-1939

1930 Breton Plots established

1940-1949

1946 Breton Plots purchased by University of Alberta

1950-1959

1955 5 crop mixture (alfalfa, red clover, brome, creeping red fescue, timothy) adopted for forage

1960-1969

-- 1964 Roadways between series established. Annual fertilization resumed. Fertilizer rates adjusted. -- 1967 Alfalfa-brome adopted for forages -- 1969 Recorded effects of acidity on alfalfa growth

1970-1979

-- 1972 Liming of E½ of series A, B, C, D, F, and full plots of series E began. Plots 13-26 discontinued -- 1979 Commemorated 50 years of work. Extensive sampling of all Classical Plots. C.F. Bentley retired.

1980-1989

-- 1980 Major revisions to treatments on Classical Plots. Hendrigan Plots established. -- 1981 Jeff Thurston appointed as Department farm manager. -- 1982 Point of Interest sign erected near Breton to commemorate the Breton Plots -- 1983 Breton Plots Endowment Fund established -- 1989 Field day commemorated 60 years of work

1990-1999

-- 1993 Breton Plots Endowment Fund surpassed $100,000 -- 1994 August 31 - J.A. Robertson retired, though returned half time for two years -- 1998 Soil sampling of all Series for determination of lime requirements.

2000-2009

--2000 Fred Bentley purchases a 3 acre parcel of undisturbed forest adjacent to the Plots, subsequently called “the Bentley Preserve”. --2001 Jeff Thurston changes careers; Dick Puurveen assumes management. Breton Plots Management Committee formed. Numerous adjustments to management initiated (straw retained; alfalfa in Agro-eco; sampling protocols) Liming initiated based on 1998 soil sampling. -- 2002 Partnership with Alberta Agriculture Climate Information Service (ACIS) results in completion of permanent weather station. Game fence constructed around north, west and south perimeter. 2006 David Chanasyk becomes chair of Breton Plots Management Team. 2008 Fred Bentley died.

2010-2019

2012 David Chanasyk retires; Miles Dyck becomes chair for BPMT. First year to green manure grain+straw fababean in Agro-Eco. 2013 Purchase of New Holland 488 mower conditioner 2014 Flesher’s donate an additional 60 acres of land. 2015 Construction of new multi-use building at Breton on new land. 2017 2018 October 18: Delivered new Fabro (Allen) plot seeder to Breton 2019 Field day commemorates 90 years of work

2000-2009

2020 Western Grain Research Fund provides funding for JD 5055E tractor, Zurn 150 combine, hay shed

BRETON PLOTS - A LIVING LIBRARY