PACIFIC NORTHWEST (PNW) DRYLAND AGRICULTURE IS DOMINATED BY SMALL-GRAIN CEREALS. FEW ADAPTED ROTATIONAL CROPS ARE AVAILABLE AND THERE ARE INCREASING CONCERNS ABOUT THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF MONOCULTURE CEREAL PRODUCTION. CANOLA YIELDS IN THE PNW ARE THE HIGHEST IN THE US. HOWEVER, THIS REGION ALSO PRODUCES THE HIGHEST WHEAT YIELDS, SO CONVINCING GROWERS TO TRY NEW CROPS CAN BE DIFFICULT. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE CANOLA PRODUCTIVITY AND GROWER PROFITABILITY BY: (1) DEVELOPING SUPERIOR CULTIVARS WITH HIGHER YIELD AND RESISTANCE TO BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSES; (2) IDENTIFYING AND QUANTIFYING ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ROTATIONAL BENEFITS OF CANOLA IN CEREAL ROTATIONS, AND DEVELOPING MULTI-YEAR ENTERPRISE BUDGETS; (3) DETERMINE EFFECTS OF ROW SPACING, SEEDING RATE, AND PLANTING DATE ON YIELD AND OIL CONTENT OF HYBRID AND OP SPRING CANOLA; (4) QUANTIFY YIELD LOSS DUE TO BLACKLEG INFESTATION, DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SEED AND FOLIAR FUNGICIDES TREATMENTS AS WELL AS DEVELOP ANECONOMIC THRESHOLDS FOR JUSTIFYING FUNGICIDAL DISEASE CONTROL, AND CONTINUE INVESTIGATE THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF L. MACULANS TO AID IN DEVELOPING DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGIES; AND (5) PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL EXTENSION AND OUTREACH TO CONFER THE RESEARCH RESULTS TO GROWERS AND INDUSTRY, INCLUDING THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE PNW CANOLA PRODUCTION MANUAL. WE WILL PROVIDE PRODUCERS WITH BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO MAXIMIZE CANOLA PERFORMANCE AND PROFITABILITY. RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL ENCOURAGE MORE GROWERS TO INCLUDE CANOLA IN THEIR CEREAL ROTATIONS, OFFERING MORE CROP DIVERSITY AND GREATER LONG-TERM FARM STABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.