**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE ADAPTATION, AND POSSIBLY A BROAD RETHINKING, OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT IS URGENTLY NEEDED FOR MINIMIZING THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY INCREASINGLY COMMON CLIMATE DISRUPTIONS. REGENERATIVE CROPPING SYSTEMS, INCLUDING PERENNIAL GRAINS, CAN IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH AND FUNCTIONALITY THROUGH REDUCED SOIL DISTURBANCE, CONTINUOUS PLANT COVER, AND THE FOSTERING OF FUNCTIONALLY DIVERSE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES. HEALTHY SOIL ADAPTS CROPPING SYSTEMS TO PRECIPITATION EXTREMES BY INCREASING SOIL WATER INFILTRATION AND STORAGE. MOREOVER, PERENNIAL PLANTS MAY BE MORE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE DISRUPTION DUE TO THEIR EXTENSIVE ROOT SYSTEMS AND LIMITED NEED FOR ANNUAL FIELD OPERATIONS. WE PROPOSE TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF THE NOVEL PERENNIAL GRAIN CROP INTERMEDIATE WHEATGRASS (IWG) ON SOIL HEALTH AND YIELD RESILIENCE TO EXTREME WEATHER SCENARIOS. WE WILL ESTABLISH FOUR CROPPING SYSTEMS ALONG A GRADIENT FROM SOIL-DEGRADING (1: CORN/SOYBEAN ROTATION WITH TILLAGE AND NO COVER CROP) TO MODERATELY REGENERATIVE (2: NO-TILL CORN/SOYBEAN WITH COVER CROPS) TO HIGHLY REGENERATIVE (3: IWG MONOCULTURE; 4: IWG WITH LEGUME INTERCROP). WE WILL SUBJECT THESE FOUR CROPPING SYSTEMS TO TWO CLIMATE DISRUPTIONS--EXTREME RAINFALL AND DROUGHT--THAT REPRESENT PROJECTIONS FOR THE MIDDLE-TO-END OF THE CENTURY UNDER A BUSINESS-AS-USUAL SCENARIO. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) DETERMINE THE SOIL HEALTH EFFECTS OF THESE CROPPING SYSTEMS; 2) TEST SOIL, MICROBIAL, AND PLANT RESPONSES TO EXTREME CLIMATE SCENARIOS; AND 3) ELUCIDATE THE LINKAGES BETWEEN PLANT AND MICROBIAL CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND YIELD RESILIENCE. THIS RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS THE AFRI PROGRAM AREA PRIORITIES RELATED TO UNDERSTANDING HOW CROPPING SYSTEM DIVERSIFICATION STRATEGIES AFFECT MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES, SOIL HEALTH, PLANT PERFORMANCE, AND RESILIENCE TO EXTREME EVENTS.