IN MOST AGRICULTURE, WE ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO INCREASE THE QUANTITY OR QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT WHILE MINIMIZING THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO PRODUCE THAT PRODUCT (E.G. INFRASTRUCTURE, PERSONNEL, WATER). WHILE GREAT ADVANCES HAVE BEEN MADE, THE MECHANISMS FOR MANY ENHANCEMENTS REMAIN UNSTUDIED OR UNRESOLVED. ONE OPPORTUNITY IS FOR US TO MANIPULATE A VARIABLE THAT IS ABUNDANT AND COSTS US LITTLE IN DIRECT EXPENSE: SUNLIGHT.WHILE PLANTS CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT SUNLIGHT, NOT ALL LIGHT IS THE SAME; BOTH LIGHT QUANTITY AND SPECTRAL QUALITY DRAMATICALLY AFFECT PHOTOSYNTHESIS. HOWEVER, ONE OTHER KEY VARIABLE OF LIGHT IS LARGELY OVERLOOKED: THE ANGLE OF LIGHT ARRIVING AT THE LEAF (DIRECT OR DIFFUSE). NEW RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT DIFFUSE LIGHT CAN DOUBLE PHOTOSYNTHESIS WHILE MAINTAINING SIMILAR RATES OF WATER USE. THE MECHANISM DRIVING THIS OBSERVATION REMAINS UNRESOLVED.THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A MECHANISTIC BASIS OF HOW LIGHT QUALITY, LEAF STRUCTURE, AND BIOCHEMISTRY INTERACT TO AFFECT TOMATO PLANT PRODUCTIVITY. THIS SEED PROPOSAL WILL (1) COMPARE THE EFFECT OF SUSTAINED AND SHORT-TERM EXPOSURE TO DIFFUSE LIGHT ON RATES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND WATER-USE EFFICIENCY, (2) DETERMINE THE LEAF TRAITS THAT AFFECT PHOTOSYNTHETIC RESPONSE TO DIFFUSE LIGHT, AND (3) QUANTIFY THE EFFECTS OF SUSTAINED EXPOSURE TO DIRECT VS. DIFFUSE LIGHT ON PLANT GROWTH, MORPHOLOGY, AND FRUIT PRODUCTION.THE OUTPUT FROM THIS PROPOSAL WILL ENHANCE OUR ECO-PHYSIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PLANTS UTILIZE LIGHT AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM AGRICULTURE BY INFORMING TRAIT BREEDING INITIATIVES, OPTIMIZING GREENHOUSE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR US TO FURTHER EXPLORE PLANT PRODUCTIVITY IN DIVERSE LIGHT ENVIRONMENTS.