THE PROJECT GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE A NOVEL WHOLE-PLANT (WP) BASED UNIVERSAL FEEDSTOCK SUPPLY SYSTEM (FSS) FOR CELLULOSIC BIOREFINERIES THAT WILL ADDRESS ITS FEEDSTOCK LOGISTICS CHALLENGES, SPECIFICALLY UNDERUTILIZATION OF EQUIPMENT AND INEFFICIENCIES IN CURRENT FEEDSTOCK HARVESTING, STORAGE, AND TRANSPORTATION. THIS GOAL WILL BE MET VIA FOUR OBJECTIVES: (1) DEVELOP PROTOTYPE EQUIPMENT FOR SINGLE-PASS WP CORN BALING AND STATIONARY GRAIN THRESHING. (2) DEMONSTRATE THE WP FSS. (3) EVALUATE IMPACTS OF WP CORN HARVESTING ON ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS, NUTRIENTS AND SOIL. (4) CONDUCT SYSTEMS-LEVEL TECHNO-ECONOMIC AND LIFE CYCLE ANALYSES OF THE WP FSS AND COMPARE TO CONVENTIONAL FSSS. TO ACCOMPLISH THESE OBJECTIVES, WE WILL WORK WITH OUR INDUSTRY COLLABORATORS TO DEVELOP AND TEST PROTOTYPE EQUIPMENT FOR BALING WP CORN (INTACT EARS, STALKS AND LEAVES, CUT BELOW THE EAR). WE WILL ALSO TEST IT FOR HARVESTING SWITCHGRASS TO DEMONSTRATE ITS POTENTIAL FOR YEAR-ROUND USE. THE INCREASED DENSITY OF WP BALES WILL ALLEVIATE CURRENT VOLUME CONSTRAINTS FOR TRANSPORTATION, WHILEDELIVERY TO A STATIONARY THRESHERWILL ALLOW CELLULOSIC BIOREFINERIES TO BE CO-LOCATED WITH EXISTING CORN GRAIN PROCESSING PLANTS FOR IMPROVED SUPPLY LOGISTICS AND YEAR-ROUND USE OF THRESHING EQUIPMENT. DATA COLLECTED WILL BE USED TO ASSESS SYSTEMS ECONOMICS AND EFFICIENCY. THIS PROJECT IS FOCUSED ON THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS TO INITIATE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERED FSS THAT WILL IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES, ECONOMICS AND EMISSIONS OF BIOBASED FUELS AND PRODUCTS, THUS IT IS DIRECTLY GERMANE TO USDA/NIFA/AFRI PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY, BIOENERGY AND BIOBASED PRODUCT FEEDSTOCK LOGISTICS (A1414).