LEAFY GREENS ARE INCREASINGLY GROWN IN GREENHOUSES AND VERTICAL FARMING OPERATIONS USING RECIRCULATING HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS. BECAUSE ALL PLANTS ESSENTIALLY SHARE THE SAME HYDROPONIC NUTRIENT SOLUTION, THE SPREAD OF FOOD AND WATERBORNE PATHOGENS IS A MAJOR CONCERN AND CURRENT PROBLEM. THE POTENTIAL FOR FOODBORNE PATHOGENS TO SURVIVE IN RECIRCULATING HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS AND BECOME INTERNALIZED BY PLANTS IS NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD. PYTHIUM IS ONE OF THE DOMINANT WATERBORNE PLANT PATHOGENS REDUCING CROP YIELDS IN HYDROPONICS. WE PROPOSE AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECT TO DEVELOP NOVEL CONTROLLED-ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE (CEA) AND OUTREACH TECHNIQUES TO "OUTSMART" FOOD AND WATERBORNE PATHOGENS FOR THE SAFE PRODUCTION OF HYDROPONIC LEAFY GREENS. OBJECTIVES 1 AND 2 AIM TO DEVELOP NEW KNOWLEDGE REGARDING FOOD SAFETY AND PLANT DISEASE RISKS FOR CEA. OBJECTIVE 3 EVALUATES PRACTICAL AND LOW-COST STRATEGIES THAT ALLOW CEA PRODUCERS TO DECREASE FOOD AND WATERBORNE PATHOGEN RISKS. OBJECTIVE 4 FOCUSES ON RAPID--YEARS 1 TO 3 OF THIS PROJECT--AND LONG-TERM APPLICATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS TARGETING SMALL AND LARGE OPERATIONS. CONTROLLED-ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION IS COMMON IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS, AND INCREASING THE SAFETY OF HYDROPONICALLY-GROWN FOOD WILL PROVIDE POSITIVE BENEFITS FOR CONSUMERS AND PUBLIC HEALTH ACROSS A RANGE OF COMMUNITIES. IMPLEMENTING HYDROPONIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT REDUCE YIELD LOSSES FROM PYTHIUM WILL ALSO INCREASE THE PROFITABILITY AND SUCCESS OF CEA PRODUCERS, BENEFITTING LOCAL AND REGIONAL ECONOMIES. CONSIDERING THE NATIONAL SCOPE AND INCREASING TREND FOR CEA, WE ANTICIPATE THE RESEARCH AND OUTREACH FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE CRITICAL IN PROGRESSING THE INDUSTRY FORWARD AND BUILDING FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE.