CENTER ROT HAS EMERGED AS A CHRONIC PROBLEM IN NUMBER OF ONION GROWING REGIONS (CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC) IN THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING GEORGIA AND MICHIGAN, AND HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR SIGNIFICANT PRE- AND POST-HARVEST LOSSES IN YIELD AND QUALITY. THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO ADVANCE TECHNOLOGIES AND OUTREACH TO PROMOTE THE TRANSITION TO ORGANIC ONION PRODUCTION IN TWO PRODUCTIVE REGIONS, SOUTHERN AND NORTHCENTRAL U.S. OUR INTEGRATED APPROACH FOCUSES ON MINIMIZING INOCULUM SOURCES (WEEDS, THRIPS) THROUGH MICROBIAL CONTROL, WEED MANAGEMENT, AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROVISIONING TO FORM AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PACKAGE FOR ORGANIC ONION GROWERS. WE ALSO INTEND TO COMPARE THE RELATIVE IMPACT OF ORGANIC TREATMENTS AND MANAGEMENT TACTICS ON THE BIODIVERSITY OF PARASITOIDS AND PREDATORS. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL CONDUCT A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS TO ASSESS HOW THE NEW MANAGEMENT STRATEGY WILL RESULT IN INCREASED PROFITS. IN ADDITION, WE WILL INVOLVE A "STAKEHOLDER-ADVISORYPANEL" WHO WILL INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROJECT DURING THE PROJECT DURATION. WE ENVISION THAT THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE CENTER ROT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES WITH AN "INTEGRATED" APPROACH AND WILL ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILITY OF ORGANIC ONION IN THE U.S. THE CURRENT PROJECT IS IN LINE WITH THE STAKEHOLDER'S NEED/INPUT AND THE ORG RFA PRIORITIES: UNDERSTANDING OF WEEDS, PESTS AND DISEASE DYNAMICS IN ORGANIC SYSTEM (PRIORITY 1); AND OVERCOME BARRIERS TO ORGANIC TRANSITION BY DEVELOPING PRACTICAL INFORMATION AND TOOLS FOR PRODUCER USE (PRIORITY 2).