AS THE PRODUCTION OF HEMP INCREASES ACROSS THE UNITES STATES, SO HAVE THE CHALLENGES IN DISEASE MANAGEMENT. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP ROBUST AND EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS FOR EARLY PATHOGEN DETECTION IN HEMP, PROVIDE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HEMP DISEASES AND IDENTIFY DISEASE MITIGATION STRATEGIES. OUR PROPOSAL RESPONDS DIRECTLY TO THE RESEARCH IDENTIFIED BY HEMP GROWERS, HEMP INDUSTRY, DIAGNOSTIC LABS, RESEARCHERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, AS WELL AS DIRECTLY ADDRESSES PROGRAM PRIORITY FOR PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS.THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THREE OBJECTIVES: 1) CHARACTERIZE THE DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF VIRUSES AND VIROIDS OF HEMP USING HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEQUENCING TECHNOLOGIES AND IDENTIFY INSECT VECTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PATHOGENS IN HEMP, 2) IDENTIFY HOST RESISTANCE TO VIRUSES AND VIROIDS IN ELITE HEMP GERMPLASM, AND 3) DEVELOP OUTREACH AND EDUCATION MATERIALS THAT CAN BE DISSEMINATED TO HEMP GROWERS, INDUSTRY AGRONOMISTS, CROP CONSULTANTS, DIAGNOSTIC LABS, RESEARCHERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. FINDINGS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL BE DISTRIBUTED VIA SEVERAL MECHANISMS: THROUGH THE HEMP DISEASE WEBSITE HOSTED AT THE HEMP RESOURCE CENTER AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY. RESULTS WILL BE COMMUNICATED BY POSTERS, EXTENSION FACTSHEETS AND SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS. PRESENTATIONS AT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS, FIELD DAYS, PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS MEETING, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE (AES) MEETINGS, AND TWO ANNUAL WEBINARS AT THE NATIONAL PLANT DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK (NPDN). BY RESPONDING TO NEED OF HEMP GROWERS AND BY DIRECTLY INVOLVING THEM IN THE RESEARCH PLANS AND DISTRIBUTION OF FINDINGS, THIS PROPOSAL INTEGRATES RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND EXTENSION.