**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WHEAT IS AN IMPORTANT STAPLE FOOD CROP BUT IS REGARDED AS MOST SENSITIVE TO COPPERDEFICIENCY. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR DECADES THAT COPPER DEFICIENCY IN AGRICULTURAL SOILS DECREASES FERTILITY AND GRAIN YIELD, WE STILL DO NOT KNOW WHICH TRANSPORT SYSTEMS ARE INVOLVED IN COPPER DELIVERY TO REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS AND HOW THESE TRANSPORT PROCESSES ARE REGULATED.THE MAJORITY OF STUDIES MAINLY USED A MODEL PLANT, ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA (A RELATIVE OF CABBAGE). HOW COPPER TRANSPORT IS ACHIEVED, REGULATED, AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE FERTILITY OF GRASSES, AMONG WHICH THERE ARE SEVERAL GLOBALLY IMPORTANT CEREAL CROPS, IS NOT WELL KNOWN. THE PROPOSED WORK WILL USE WHEAT AND ITS MODEL BRACHYPODIUM TO STUDY THE ROLE OF NEWLY IDENTIFIED REGULATORS - TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS CITFL1, CITFL2, AND CITFL3 (CITFL STANDS FORCOPPER-DEFICIENCY INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR-LIKE) IN THE REGULATION OF COPPER TRANSPORT IN CEREALS AND THEIR ROLE IN FERTILITY AND GRAIN YIELD AND QUALITY. THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENTAL PLAN WILL ALSO IDENTIFY TRANSPORTERS THAT ARE REGULATED BY CITFLS, AND ARE INVOLVED IN COPPER DELIVERY TO REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS.THIS PROJECT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY FURTHER OUR UNDERSTANDING OF COPPER TRANSPORT PROCESSES, THEIR REGULATION, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO FERTILITY AND GRAIN YIELD IN CEREALS AND HELP TO DEVISE APPROACHES FOR IMPROVING THE YIELD OF CROPS GROWN IN COPPER-DEFICIENTSOILS.