TOMATO GROWERS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN USA (SEUS) CONTINUE TO FACE MANY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO OPTIMIZE AND ADVANCE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF SOILBORNE DISEASES, NEMATODES AND WEEDS WITHOUT METHYL BROMIDE AS A PRE-PLANT SOIL FUMIGANT. THROUGH A LONG-TERM INTER-DISCIPLINARY, MULTI-STATE AND STAKEHOLDER-DRIVEN PROGRAM IN THE SEUS, ALL OUR GROWERS HAVE TRANSITIONED TO ALTERNATIVE FUMIGANTS OR FARMING SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, GAPS IN MANAGING SOILBORNE PESTS USING CURRENT FUMIGANT PRACTICES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO PURSUE NON-FUMIGANT BASED IPM STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN PRIORITIZED. IN PARTICULAR, GROWERS, GROWER ASSOCIATIONS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS IN THE SEUS HAVE IDENTIFIED INCREASED PRESSURE DUE TO VERTICILLUM DAHLIAE, VERTICILLIUM WILT (VW), AND ROOT KNOT NEMATODES AS MAJOR ISSUES THAT LIMIT CROP YIELD AND PROFITABILITY. BASED ON NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN UNIVERSITY, GROWERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS A HYPOTHESIS WAS DEVELOPED: DEEP SHANK APPLICATION OF FUMIGANTS COMPLEMENTED WITH IN-BED FUMIGATION AND USE OF TIF WILL CREATE A LARGER FUMIGATED ZONE FOR VEGETABLE ROOTS TO EXPLORE AND ENHANCE KILL-EFFICACY OF SOILBORNE PESTS (DISEASES, NEMATODES AND WEEDS) AND INCREASE ECONOMIC RETURNS. THE PROJECT ALSO SEEKS TO ADVANCE NON-FUMIGANT BASED IPM TACTICS AND WILL ADVANCE TOMATO (HOST) GENETICS TO MANAGE VW IN TEMPERATE PRODUCTION REGIONS. THE WORK WILL BE COMPLEMENTED WITH ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, THROUGH DIRECT COMPARISON OF COST EFFECTIVENESS OF PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES, AND TRANSLATE RESEARCH OUTCOMES AND GROWER EXPERIENCES THROUGH EXTENSION AND OUTREACH EFFORTS INTO INFORMATION AND PRODUCTS USEFUL TO GROWERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.