DOI: 10.23637/rpg5-pgtimeline-1856-2025-01
title: Dataset: Park Grass Plot & Treatments Timeline 1856-2025

description: 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.
description: An Excel file containing :

ReadMe page.

Sheet 1. Full detail time series: Park Grass Plot & Treatments Timeline 1856-2025: This most comprehensive table contains all details relating to the plot names, fertilizer treatments and liming applications since the start of the experiment in 1856. It is a large table and requires scrolling up and down and side to side to see all details.

Sheet 2. Plot numbers & liming: Dates when original whole plots, and subsequent split plots and liming schemes were introduced on Park Grass: This table provides the changes in plot numbers since the start of the experiment in 1856.
 
Sheet 3. Plot fertilizers & years: Fertilizer treatments and number of years per each treatment variation 1856-2025. This table provides the changes in plot numbers since the start of the experiment in 1856

Sheet 4. Basic treatment changes: Basic Fertilizer changes on Park Grass since start of experiment: This very basic table lists the fertilizer treatments applied to each plot 1856-2025
description: From 2025, an additional plot identification number, "new_plot_id" uses a new naming convention assigned retrospectively to all plots since the start of the experiment in 1856. It is intended to show the provenance of the treatments of the plots using ' \ ' and '.' to indicate significant changes, where ' \ ' indicates a liming change and '.' indicates a plot-split for a fertilizer modification. For example, original plot number id., 7\1a now also has the new plot id., 7.1\L\a, where 7.1 indicates it has been split, for a new fertilizer treatment, and \L\a indicates the changes in liming it has undergone (where L a indicates a limed half pre-1964 and a indicating lime to pH 7 from 1965.
description: These details have been gathered together from various sources including the plans, the treatments, the three Park Grass datasets.