Dataset: Park Grass Plot & Treatments Timeline 1856-2025

This dataset consist of an Excel file with four alternative tabular plans which illustrate the changes in plots since the experiment began in 1856 up to the present day.

Since being set up in 1856 its various plots have received differing fertilizer and manure treatments and there have been an assortment of changes over time. These changes are comprised of three main Design Periods relating to lime applications and various irregular changes to fertiliser treatments:

Liming designs:-
Design Period 1. 1856 - 1902 Whole plots with no liming.
Design Period 2. 1903 - 1964 Whole plots split in half to give one half of sub-plots receiving lime (L) and the other half un-limed (L).
Design Period 3. 1965 - present Original whole plots became four sub-plots with differing amounts of lime to adjust the pH of the soils in each where a = pH 7, b = pH 6, c = pH5, d = unlimed (the pH of these d plots ranges from 3.5 to 5.7 depending on the fertilizer treatment.)

These Tables will aid any person wanting to use the Park Grass data in understanding the complexities of the changes that have been made since the experiment started. The Full Detail Time Series Table also includes the new plot ids which have been given retrospectively in 2025 to all plots. These new ploot ids aim to show the provenance of each plot now.