Article Database - The Breton Plots: An Alberta Registered Historic Resource

The Breton Plots were established in 1929 near the village of Breton, 100km southwest of Edmonton, by the Department of Soils, University of Alberta. These plots were originally designed to find "a system of farming suitable for the wooded soil belt". The Breton Plots are known worldwide in the Soil Science community and are the only continuous, long-term plots on Gray Luvisols in Canada and possibly in the world.

Today, the Breton Plots provide a model of how diverse cropping practices affect typical Gray Luvisolic soils after 70 years of farming. Many farmers and rural communities have benefitted enormously from the work done over the past 70 years. The economic impact through improved crop production, especially in western Canada, has been significant. Currently, the plots are being used to assess the interaction among the Global environment, crop productivity and soil quality. The Breton Plots are a part of the North American Great Plains Network and the Global Change and Terrestrial Environment Soil Organic Matter Network.

The Plots are managed by the Department of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics, University of Alberta with full participation of the Agronomy Unit, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton. The Plots exist today due to the vision of Dr. F. A. Wyatt and Dr. J. D. Newton, the dedication of a large number of individuals, and the financial support from the Breton Plots Endowment Fund, Industry, National and Provincial Granting Agencies, and the Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta.

Dr. Frank Wyatt came to Alberta from Illinois in 1919. He established the first Department of Soils in Canada at the University of Alberta. He was very familiar with the long-term Morrow Plots at the University of Illinois. Dr. John Newton studied at the University of California. He was appointed to the department of Soils, University of Alberta in 1922. He, with Dr. Wyatt, started research at the Breton Plots site in 1929.

Mr. Ben Flesher provided the land for the first plots in 1929. Ben did many of the plot operations including tillage, seeding and harvesting. The 20-acre parcel of land on which the Breton Plots are located was purchased by the University of Alberta in 1946. Mr. Flesher was one of the founders of the Breton Plots and made a significant contribution to the research and outreach activities over a span of 40 years.

Further information about the Breton Plots is available at the website: http://bretonplots.rr.ualberta.ca