CONSERVATION TILLAGE IN COMBINATION WITH COVER CROPS (CC) PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PRESERVING LONG-TERM WATER AND FOOD SECURITY. HOWEVER, ADOPTION OF THESE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES STILL REMAINS LOW. WE WILL DEVELOP A NETWORK OF EARLY CC AND CT ADOPTERS TO ADDRESS GAPS BETWEEN PERCEPTION AND REALITY OF HOW THESE TOOLS INFLUENCE WATER DYNAMICS. WE WILL MEASURE CC IMPACTS ON SOIL WATER ON MULTIPLE FARMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEAST TO USE IN MODELING EFFORTS AIMED AT PRODUCERS, STAKEHOLDERS AND POLICY EDUCATORS. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE 1) QUANTIFY HOW ON-FARM MANAGEMENT INFLUENCES CC BIOMASS QUANTITY/QUALITY AND SUBSEQUENT EFFECTS ON WATER DYNAMICS ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEAST US; 2) MODEL SOIL WATER AND CC DECOMPOSITION TO DETERMINE WATER AVAILABILITY FOR FOLLOWING CASH CROP AND VOLUME OF WATER MOVING OUT OF THE PROFILE; 3) QUANTIFY AND SIMULATE HOW SOIL AND CC MANAGEMENT UNDER CURRENT AND FUTURE CLIMATES INFLUENCE CORN AND SOYBEAN YIELD (POTENTIAL, STABILITY AND ECONOMICS) IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEAST; 4) DEVELOP AN OUTREACH PROGRAM, INFORMED BY OUR EARLY ADOPTER NETWORK OF FARMERS THAT IDENTIFIES AND OVERCOMES MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE COST AND VALUE OF CCS; AND 5) PROVIDE SCIENCE-BASED DATA SUPPORTING INTEGRATION OF CCS INTO FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE PROGRAMS AND INCREASED FARMER ADOPTION OF ADVANCED RISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS (CT AND CCS). OUR TRANSDISCIPLINARY PROJECT ADDRESSES PROGRAM PRIORITIES OF "USE OF TRANSFORMATIVE DISCOVERIES TO REDUCE WATER USE", "INNOVATIVE WAYS TO SUSTAINABLY SECURE AND EFFICIENTLY USE WATER TO PRODUCE FOOD", AND "TARGETED ACTIVITIES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS/DISINCENTIVES SO THAT MORE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ARE ADOPTED".