**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS PROJECT IS INVESTIGATING TRAITS FOR SUSTAINABILITY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN LOST AS MAIZE WAS DOMESTICATED FROM TEOSINTE AND FURTHER IMPROVED FOR MODERN AGRICULTURE. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT OLDER LINES OF MAIZE INTERACTED WITH SOIL MICROBES IN WAYS THAT HELPED THE PLANT ACQUIRE NITROGEN. RECOVERING THESE TRAITS AND INCORPORATING THEM INTO MODERN MAIZE COULD ALLOW REDUCTION OF FERTILIZER ADDED TO CORN CROPS AND REDUCE THE LOSS OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER FROM THE FIELDS, POTENTIALLY REDUCING NUTRIENT POLLUTION OF WATERWAYS. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL DISCOVER THE TEOSINTE GENES THAT CONFER TRAITS FOR SUPPRESSING UNDESIRABLE MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES, AND ALSO CHARACTERIZE THE ROOT EXUDATE CHEMISTRY THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PLANT TRAITS. DETERMINING THE GENETIC AND BIOCHEMICAL BASIS BY WHICH THE PLANT CAN ALTER MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES WILL ALLOW US TO IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF MODERN MAIZE.