THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES REPRESENTS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF VEGETABLE PRODUCTION FOR OUR NATION BOTH IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY OF CROPPING SYSTEMS (INCLUDING WATERMELON, MELON, SWEET POTATO, BRASSICA LEAFY GREENS, TOMATOES AND PEPPERS) AND TOTAL QUANTITY, WITH OVER 300,000 ACRES OF VEGETABLES PLANTED IN 2018, WORTH AN ESTIMATED $1.8 BILLION. THE WARM, WET CLIMATE OF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. PRESENTS IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR MANY CROP PATHOGENS, LEADING TO EXTREME DISEASE PRESSURE IN THIS REGION. THE MAJORITY OF LEAFY GREENS PRODUCTION (BRASSICAS AND PROCESSING SPINACH) OCCURS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. AND SUFFERS YIELD LOSSES OF 15 TO 100% CAUSED BY HIGH INCIDENCE OF DISEASE, DRAMATICALLY REDUCING PROFITS. BECAUSE THE FOLIAR PORTION OF THE PLANT IS CONSUMED, EVEN SLIGHT DEFORMITY OR BLEMISHES OF THE LEAVES CAN RESULT IN BUYER REJECTION AND LOSS OF SALES. HOST-PLANT RESISTANCE REPRESENTS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE FORM OF DISEASE MANAGEMENT. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TO SOLVE A STAKEHOLDER-DRIVEN NEED FOR BACTERIAL BLIGHT-RESISTANT CULTIVARS OF TURNIP GREENS AND PROCESSING SPINACH TO ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF LEAFY GREENS PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. AND TO FULFILL DEMAND GENERATED BY ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING MARKETS.THIS PROJECT WILL SCREEN THE USDA SPINACH AND TURNIP GREENS GERMPLASM COLLECTIONS FOR RESISTANCE TO BACTERIAL LEAF BLIGHT. THE RESISTANT MATERIALS WILL BE RELEASED TO GROWERS TO DECREASE YIELD LOSSES FROM BACTERIAL BLIGHT IN SPINACH AND TURNIP GREENS IN THE SHORT-TERM. THE GERMPLASM WILL THEN BE USED TO MAKE POPULATIONS AND IDENTIFY GENETIC REGIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO RESISTANCE. GENETIC MARKERS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND USED BY BREEDERS TO INCORPORATE RESISTANCE INTO IMPROVED VARIETIES OF SPINACH AND TURNIP GREENS WITH HIGH-QUALITY HORTICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF LEAFY GREENS PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTHEASTERN US.