**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE CURRENT YEARLY GLOBAL NITROGEN FERTILIZER APPLICATION RATE IS ESTIMATED TO BE $115 TG, OF WHICH, GLOBALLY, 50-70% IS LOST FROM AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS TO THE ENVIRONMENT. NITROGEN, IN THE FORM OF NITRATE, CAN BE LOST VIA LEACHING AND RUNOFF AT GLOBAL RATES ESTIMATED TO ACCOUNT FOR 19% OF TOTAL NITROGEN FERTILIZER APPLICATION. TO AVOID THAT, MANY SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS HAVE IN THEIR COMPOSITION NITRIFICATION INHIBITORS. STILL, SURPRISINGLY, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, EFFICIENT NITRIFICATION INHIBITION HAS NOT YET BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN MAIZE, THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT CROP SPECIES AFTER RICE AND WHEAT IN TERMS OF GLOBAL FERTILIZER CONSUMPTION AND CROP OUTPUT. A MAIZE VARIETY THAT BENEFITS FROM NITROGEN FIXATION, TOGETHER WITH THE IDENTIFICATION OF MICROBES THAT PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE AERIAL ROOTS, WOULD IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION TO NEW LEVELS, SIMILAR TO WHAT IS REPORTED FOR SOYBEAN, WHERE 40% OF NITROGEN IS DERIVED FROM NITROGEN FIXATION. IN COUNTRIES, WHERE INOCULANTS ARE WIDELY USED FOR CEREALS, 25 % OF NITROGEN SUPPLY COMES FROM INOCULATION WITH AZOSPIRILLUM. THEREFORE, OPTIMIZATION OF INOCULANTS AND MAIZE VARIETIES WOULD DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF NITROGEN APPLIED BY AT LEAST 20% REPRESENTING A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC GAIN FOR THE FARMS, PARTICULARLY IN SUBSISTENCE FARMING SYSTEMS, BUT MORE THAN THAT WOULD REDUCE THE GLOBAL RELIANCE ON SYNTHETIC NITROGEN FERTILIZERS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. TAKEN TOGETHER, THIS MAY CAUSE A CHANGE IN CONDITION BECAUSE THE FOOD PRODUCTION CAN INCREASE, BY DECREASING BY AT LEAST 20% THE EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, WITHOUT AUGMENTING THE LAND USE.THE GOAL OF OUR PROJECT IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND IMPROVE THE PROCESS OF NITROGEN FIXATION IN THE AERIAL ROOT MUCILAGE OF SUPERMUC MAIZE VARIETIES TO ENHANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF US AGRICULTURE BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE NITROGEN TO FARMERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WHERE NITROGEN AVAILABILITY IS STILL LIMITING THEIR YIELDS.