COVER CROPS ARE POWERFUL TOOLS FOR IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. HAIRY VETCH (VICIA VILLOSA) IS A WIDELY USED A LEGUME COVER CROP THAT EXCELS IN NITROGEN PRODUCTION, WEED SUPPRESSION, AND SOIL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT. DESPITE THESE BENEFITS, V. VILLOSA SUFFERS FROM SEED DORMANCY AND SHATTER, TRAITS THAT WERE ELIMINATED IN MOST CROPS THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. WE PROPOSE A MODERN APPROACH TO DOMESTICATE V. VILLOSA. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: IDENTIFY MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH SEED DORMANCY AND SHATTER, BREED IMPROVED SOFT-SEEDED AND LOW SHATTER VARIETIES OF HAIRY VETCH, EVALUATE IMPROVED LINES OF HAIRY VETCH WITH FARMERS, AND DEVELOP A TOOL TO GUIDE SEED COMPANIES IN THE EMERGING COVER CROP SEED MARKET. FIRST, A GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY (GWAS) ON DIVERSE GERMPLASM WILL PINPOINT MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH SEED DORMANCY AND SHATTER. SECOND, CLASSICAL BREEDING TECHNIQUES WILL BE APPLIED TO DEVELOP REGIONALLY ADAPTED VARIETIES OF SOFT-SEEDED AND NON-SHATTERING V. VILLOSA. THIRD, PARTICIPATORY VARIETY TRIALING WILL ACTIVELY ENGAGE HUNDREDS OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE EVALUATION OF TOP BREEDING LINES FOR SUITABILITY TO DIVERSE SOILS, CLIMATES, AND FARMING SYSTEMS OF THE UNITED STATES. FINALLY, WE WILL DEVELOP SEED MARKET FORECASTING TOOLS TO FACILITATE THE GROWING V. VILLOSA INDUSTRY. WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT-SEEDED AND NON-SHATTERING VARIETIES OF V. VILLOSA, WE ANTICIPATE REMARKABLE SHIFTS IN ADOPTION OF THIS LEGUME COVER CROP, BOOSTING AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY NATIONWIDE. THE PROJECT'S COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IS HIGHLY RELEVANT TO THE GOALS OF THE PLANT BREEDING FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION PROGRAM, INCLUDING GENOMICS-ENABLED BREEDING, CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT, AND PARTICIPATORY ENGAGEMENT.