** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ACHIEVING THE AFRI SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS PROGRAM (SAS) GOAL OF TRANSFORMING THE US AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM TO SUSTAINABLY INCREASE PRODUCTION BY 40% REQUIRES LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE, ACROSS MULTIPLE CROPS, TO PROFOUNDLY CHANGE ITS BARE-SOIL WINTER-FALLOW PRACTICES. THESE CONVENTIONAL PRACTICES NEGATIVELY IMPACT SOIL HEALTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION - THE PILLARS OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS SUSTAINABILITY. A SCALABLE SOLUTION TO THIS CHALLENGE IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PERENNIAL GROUNDCOVER (PGC) CROPPING SYSTEMS, WHICH USE AN ECOLOGICALLY COMPLEMENTARY, PERMANENT, GROUNDCOVER IN FIELDS WHERE ANNUAL CASH CROPS ARE GROWN. THIS TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH TO LARGE-SCALE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION INCREASES THE DURATION AND EXTENT OF GROUNDCOVER ON CROPLAND, ENHANCING RESILIENCY AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF WATER, AIR, AND SOIL. WORKING CLOSELY WITH FARMER, NGO, AND INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS, THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND REFINE PGC APPROACHES ENABLING HIGH-YIELDING ROW-CROP PRODUCTION WHILE IMPROVING SOIL AND WATER QUALITY, PROVIDING LARGE INCREASES IN THE AVAILABILITY OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS, AND PRESERVING OR INCREASING FARM INCOME. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR GROWING CROPS AND SUPPRESSING WEEDS WITH PGC, DEVELOP IMPROVED CROP AND GROUNDCOVER GENETICS, DEVELOP APPROPRIATE SOIL AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, QUANTIFY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AND DETERMINE THE POLICY AND SOCIOECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF ADOPTION OF PGC APPROACHES. KNOWLEDGE GAINED THROUGH THIS PROJECT WILL BE USED TO EDUCATE A NEW GENERATION OF UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO RECOGNIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE AGRICULTURE BY PERENNIAL GROUNDCOVERS. WE WILL PROVIDE A MULTI-PRONGED EXTENSION EFFORT USING A COMBINATION OF HANDS-ON FIELD DAYS, FARMER MEETINGS, AND ONLINE RESOURCES TO EDUCATE PRACTITIONERS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE SYSTEM.