**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAV) HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED IN SUPPORT OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE TO CARRY OUT TIMELY SITE?SPECIFIC PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS WITH HIGHLY TARGETED SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND ACCURACY. PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS WITH UAV PLATFORM ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING AVAILABLE IN THE US DESPITE THE SCIENTIFIC GAP SUPPORTING THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR PEST MANAGEMENT. RESEARCH INVESTIGATING HOW TO OPTIMIZE SPRAY PARAMETERS FOR UAV APPLICATIONS ACROSS DIFFERENT PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN THE US WILL ACCELERATE THE SAFE DEVELOPMENT AND ADOPTION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY IN THE US. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO OPTIMIZE PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS WITH UAV PLATFORM ACROSS DIFFERENT PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN THE US. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE ENGINEERING FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AREA PRIORITY FOCUSED ON (1) ENABLING ENGINEERING AND AUTOMATION FOR IMPROVING PLANT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS; (2) DEVELOPING AND TESTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TOOLS AND PRECISION TECHNOLOGIES FOR MONITORING, MEASUREMENT, AND DETECTION IN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS THAT MAY INCORPORATE BOTH DRONE AND UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES; AND (3) DEVELOPING AND TESTING RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION MEASURES APPLICABLE TO AGRICULTURE. THE OVERALL OUTCOME OF THIS PROJECT DIRECTLY ADDRESSES SPECIFIC GOALS OF THE USDA: ENSURING PRIVATE WORKING LANDS ARE CONSERVED WHILE IMPROVING WATER RESOURCES AND PROMOTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION BY ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY. THIS PROJECT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE BROADCAST PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS ARE HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED AND THE UAV TECHNOLOGY COULD REPRESENT AN OPTION TO TIMELY SPRAY PESTICIDES IN A PRECISE AND EFFICIENT MANNER. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE USDA, THE PROJECT TEAM IS READY TO CONDUCT THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT.