SEMIARID AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY ARE AT RISK FROM LONG-TERM SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS. TO EASE THE BURDEN OF IRRIGATION WITHDRAWALS ON THE FRESH WATER SUPPLY, SIGNIFICANT BRACKISH GROUNDWATER RESERVES ARE AVAILABLE. THE STRESS OF BRACKISH WATER SALINITY ACTIVATES PLANT ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE SYSTEMS THAT INCLUDE THE PRODUCTION OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND OTHER PROTECTIVE MOLECULES. IN MOST CROPS, PRODUCTION OF THESE HUMAN HEALTH-PROMOTING SECONDARY METABOLITES IS LIMITED AS SALINITY INCREASES. BY CONTRAST, SALINITY IS AN UNDERVALUED PROPERTY FOR SALT TOLERANT HALOPHYTES IN THAT THEIR GROWTH AND METABOLISM ARE MAINTAINED WITH INCREASING SALINITY. THE GOAL OF THIS SEED PROJECT IS TO REVEAL BRACKISH GROUNDWATER AS A VALUE-ADDED PRODUCT THAT, IN TURN, INCREASES THE VALUE OF NATIVE HALOPHYTES THROUGH INCREASED PRODUCTION OF HUMAN HEALTH-PROMOTING SECONDARY PRODUCTS FOR NATURAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND FUNCTIONAL FOOD ADDITIVES. THREE NATIVE HALOPHYTES, ATRIPLEX CANESCENS (FOURWING SALTBUSH), A. LENTIFORMIS (BIG SALTBUSH), AND LEPIDIUM ALYSSOIDES (MESA PEPPERWORT), WILL BE IRRIGATED IN A GREENHOUSE FOR UP TO 12 WEEKS WITH BRACKISH GROUNDWATER (5 DS/M) AND DESALINATION CONCENTRATE (8 DS/M). WE WILL EVALUATE BIOMASS PRODUCTION, ION UPTAKE AND DISTRIBUTION, ACCUMULATION OF PHENOLICS AND GLUCOSINOLATES, POTENTIAL PHYTOTOXINS, AND IN VITRO BIOAVAILABILITY OF THE EXTRACTED SECONDARY METABOLITES. WE WILL QUANTIFY TOTAL PHENOLICS AND TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY, AND IDENTIFYSPECIFIC PHENOLICS, GLUCOSINOLATES, AND POTENTIAL PHYTOTOXINS. ANALYTICAL RESULTS WILL BE USED TO CONSTRUCT COST:RETURN PROJECTIONS FOR GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION, HARVESTING, PROCESSING, EXTRACTION, AND ANALYSIS OF PHENOLICS AND GLUCOSINOLATES IN THESE PLANT SPECIES. A WEBINAR WILL BE BROADCAST TO SHARE THE RESULTS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS TO INCLUDE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY GROWERS, HERBAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENT MANUFACTURERS, HERBALISTS, AND THE PUBLIC. THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF THIS STUDY WILL INCLUDE ANINCREASED INTEREST IN HALOPHYTES AS AN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE CROP SELECTION IN GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY CROP PORTFOLIOS AND IN THE PHYTOMEDICINAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, AND A CHANGE IN THE PERCEPTION OF SALINITY FROM A THREAT TO A VALUE-ADDED PRODUCT FOR SUSTAINING AGRICULTURE IN SEMIARID REGIONS. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO A FRAMEWORK TO LAUNCH OUR LONG-TERM GOALS OF EXPANDED STUDY ON MORE INDIGENOUS HALOPHYTE SPECIES AND THE ISOLATION OF NEW PLANT PRODUCTS WITH INCREASED NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL VALUE.