PACIFIC NORTHWEST (PNW) DRYLAND AGRICULTURE IS DOMINATED BY SMALL-GRAIN CEREALS. FEW ADAPTED ROTATIONAL CROPS ARE AVAILABLE AND THERE ARE INCREASING CONCERNS ABOUT THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF MONOCULTURE CEREAL PRODUCTION. CANOLA YIELDS IN THE PNW ARE THE HIGHEST IN THE US. HOWEVER, THIS REGION ALSO PRODUCES THE HIGHEST WHEAT YIELDS, SO CONVINCING GROWERS TO TRY NEW CROPS CAN BE DIFFICULT. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE CANOLA PRODUCTIVITY AND GROWER PROFITABILITY BY: (1) DEVELOPING SUPERIOR CULTIVARS WITH HIGHER YIELD AND RESISTANCE TO BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSES; (2) IDENTIFYING AND QUANTIFYING ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ROTATIONAL BENEFITS OF CANOLA IN CEREAL ROTATIONS, INCLUDING DEVELOPING MULTI-YEAR ENTERPRISE BUDGETS; (3) QUANTIFY YIELD LOSS DUE TO BLACKLEG INFESTATION, DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND ECONOMIC THRESHOLDS FOR FUNGICIDAL DISEASE CONTROL, AND CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF L. MACULANS TO AID IN DEVELOPING DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGIES; AND (4) DELIVER RESULTS AND EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION TO GROWERS AND THE CANOLA INDUSTRY AS WELL AS CONDUCT LARGE-SCALE, ON-FARM AGRONOMIC RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THE GENETIC POTENTIAL OF THE MOST ADAPTED CANOLA CULTIVARS. TO INCREASE CANOLA ACREAGE, WE WILL PROVIDE GROWERS WITH THE NECESSARY EXTENSION AND OUTREACH TO EDUCATE NEW AND MORE EXPERIENCED PRODUCERS ON BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO OPTIMIZE PROFITABILITY. RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL ENCOURAGE MORE GROWERS TO INCLUDE CANOLA IN THEIR CEREAL ROTATIONS, OFFERING MORE CROP DIVERSITY AND GREATER LONG-TERM FARM STABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.