SORGHUM HALEPENSE (JOHNSONGRASS) HAS THE RARE DISTINCTION OF BEING BOTH AN AGRICULTURAL WEED AND INVASIVE SPECIES. WEEDS ARE THE MOST COSTLY AND LABOR-INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE FOR AGRICULTURALISTS, AND INVASIVE PLANTS HAVE BECOME UBIQUITOUS COMPONENTS OF NATURAL AREAS. ITS POST-COLUMBIAN SPREAD ACROSS SIX CONTINENTS EXEMPLIFIES THE ADAPTABILITY OF JOHNSONGRASS AND HIGHLIGHTS ITS IMPORTANCE TO FOOD SECURITY. GROWING IMPORTANCE OF ITS RELATIVE, SORGHUM, AND A LACK OF HERBICIDES DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE TWO, LIKELY FACILITATE FURTHER SPREAD. WE SEEK TO DISCOVER PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE SPREAD OF JOHNSONGRASS, IN PARTICULAR REGARDING ITS RAPID ADAPTATION TO NEW CLIMATIC, EDAPHIC, BIOTIC, AND AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS. WE WILL INVESTIGATE NUMEROUS DIMENSIONS OF ITS 'INVASIVE SYNDROME', DEPLOYING NEW FINDINGS IN PROVIDING AN IMPROVED FACT-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. CONVENTIONAL EXTENSION ACTIVITIES COMPLEMENTED BY K-12 AND 4-H EFFORTS WILL EXTEND THE DURATION OF THEIR BENEFITS. THE BENEFITS OF OUR INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP MAY BE ESPECIALLY GREAT FOR POSTDOCTORAL, GRADUATE, AND UNDERGRADUATE PROFESSIONALS IN TRAINING, WHO WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A VIBRANT AND COMPETITIVE AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE TO UTILIZE CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES IN ASSURING AN ABUNDANT, STABLE, SUSTAINABLE AND CLIMATE-RESILIENT FOOD SUPPLY PRODUCED AT AN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE COST, AND ACCOMPANIED BY ENHANCED STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL AREAS AND INCREASED PUBLIC AND DECISION MAKER AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR ONGOING INVESTMENT.