THE MASSIVE LOSS OF SYNTHETIC NITROGEN FERTILIZERS FROM AGRICULTURAL FIELDS IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEGRADED WATER QUALITY AND EMISSION OF NITROUS OXIDE AROUND THE GLOBE. NITRIFICATION AND SUBSEQUENT DENITRIFICATION ACTIVITIES PROMOTE THIS LOSS OF NITROGEN FROM AGRICULTURAL FIELDS. SOME PLANTS CAN SUPPRESS NITRIFICATION BY RELEASING INHIBITORS FROM ITS ROOTS, A PROPERTY KNOWN AS BIOLOGICAL NITRIFICATION INHIBITION (BNI). WE ARE PROPOSING THIS AFRI PROJECT TO EXPAND OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM THAT WE INITIATED USING FUNDS FROM A NIFA EXPLORATORY RESEARCH GRANT. OUR MAIN HYPOTHESIS IS THAT INTEGRATING CROPS WITH BNI PROPERTIES WILL IMPROVE SOIL AND ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE OF AGROECOSYSTEMS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN ORDER TO EVALUATE AND IMPLEMENT BNI IN SORGHUM-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS. CAN WE FIND GERMPLASMS WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF BNI ACTIVITY THAT ARE WELL ADJUSTED TO THE INTENDED PRODUCTION REGIONS? DOES THE HIGH BNI ACTIVITY FOUND USING THE BACTERIAL CULTURE TRANSLATE INTO A HIGH ACTIVITY IN THE SOIL SYSTEM? WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF BNI ON SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY? DO BNI-POSITIVE CROPS HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LOSS OF NITROGEN THROUGH NITRATE AND NITROGEN OXIDES? IS THE GROWTH OF WEEDS AFFECTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME OF THE BNI COMPOUNDS ARE ALSO KNOWN TO BE ALLELOPATHIC? OUR RESEARCH METHODS ARE DESIGNED TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. POSITIVE OUTCOMES FROM OUR RESEARCH COULD HELP WITH THE CURRENT NATIONAL GOAL OF ACHIEVING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND INTENSIFIED SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.