AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION HAS CONSIDERABLE IMPACTS ON LAND EROSION, POLLUTION AND WATER RESOURCE DEPLETION. TRADITIONAL IRRIGATION HAS LIMITATIONS SUCH AS WATER LOSS AND FERTILIZER POLLUTION. THE RESEARCH GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROMOTE COST EFFECTIVE OR SMART IRRIGATION FOR IMPROVING CROP PRODUCTIVITY AND CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT. PARTICULARLY, THIS RESEARCH INVESTIGATES THE BENEFICIAL USE OF THE NANOMETER-SIZED BUBBLES (WITH DIAMETERS OF ~A FEW HUNDRED OF 10-9 M) OR SO-CALLED NANOBUBBLES (NBS) IN WATER FOR IRRIGATING PLANTS. COMPARED TO REGULAR BUBBLES, NBS HAVE LONG RESIDENCE TIME IN WATER AND LARGE SPECIFIC SURFACE AREA THAT ALLOW THEM TO MORE EFFICIENTLY TRANSFER NUTRIENT ELEMENTS SUCH AS OXYGEN AND NITROGEN TO THE PLANTS. THUS, SOME PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE PARTIALLY PROVEN NBS-CONTAINING WATER COULD INCREASE SEED GERMINATION AND PLANT GROWTH COMPARED TO THE SAME IRRIGATION WITH REGULAR WATER (NO NBS). BESIDES, WHEN NBS BURSTS OR COLLAPSE, THEY MAY PRODUCE REACTIVE SPECIES THAT MAY EFFICIENTLY KILL PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS AND THUS PROTECT PLANTS FROM PLANT PATHOGENS. FINALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL HOLISTICALLY EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO NBS ON SOIL CHARACTERISTICS (E.G., RELEASE OF SOIL NUTRIENTS) AND FUNCTION OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES OF PLANT RHIZOSPHERE. THROUGH DISCOVERING AND CHARACTERIZING THESE INTRIGUING NANOSCALE PHENOMENA AND PROCESSES, THIS PROJECT WILL DELIVER NEW INSIGHT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL IRRIGATION PRACTICES WITH THE NBS WATERS THAT MAY INCREASE CROP PRODUCTION AND REDUCE THE USE OF WATER, CHEMICAL FERTILIZER AND HERBICIDE.