MODERN AGRICULTURE IS BOTH EXTRAORDINARILY PRODUCTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING; THE LAST 100 YEARS HAVE SEEN MAJOR CHANGES IN SCALE, MECHANIZATION, AND THE USE OF FERTILIZER AND PESTICIDES, WHICH TOGETHER HAVE DRIVEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY GLOBALLY. HOWEVER, CONCURRENT WITH THE INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY, UNINTENDED ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES HAVE ALSO ACCELERATED, INCLUDING SOIL EROSION AND DEGRADATION, NUTRIENT LEACHING AND WATER QUALITY IMPACTS, AND LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY ON FARM AND LANDSCAPE SCALE. COVER CROPS ARE ONE ANSWER TO MITIGATING AGRICULTURE'S NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT WHILE PROVIDING AGRONOMIC BENEFITS TO FARMERS. COVER CROPS CAN IMPROVE SOIL FERTILITY THROUGH NUTRIENT SCAVENGING AND NITROGEN FIXATION, IMPROVE SOIL STRUCTURE, MINIMIZE EROSION, AND FOSTER HEALTHY SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES. THEY CAN IMPROVE WATER INFILTRATION, DRAINAGE, AND SOIL AERATION, REDUCE IRRIGATION NEEDS, AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY BY REDUCING NUTRIENT LEACHING. COVER CROPS CAN ALSO BE AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR WEED, PEST, AND DISEASE CONTROL. DESPITE THE MANY BENEFITS OF COVER CROPPING, FARMER ADOPTION HAS REMAINED LIMITED. BARRIERS TO COVER CROP ADOPTION INCLUDE CONCERNS ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF PERFORMANCE OF THE COVER CROPS AND ASSOCIATED EFFECTS ON CASH CROP YIELDS, ESTABLISHMENT, WEED COMPETITION, SEED COST, AND AVAILABILITY OF REGIONALLY ADAPTED VARIETIES BRED FOR COVER CROP PERFORMANCE. IN REGIONS WITH A SHORTER GROWING SEASON (E.G. THE NORTHEAST AND UPPER MIDWEST), THE PLANTING WINDOW AFTER CASH CROPS ARE HARVESTED IS OFTEN TOO SHORT TO SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISH A COVER CROP. INTERSEEDING COVER CROPS INTO STANDING GRAIN CROPS HAS BEEN EXPLORED BY FARMERS AND RESEARCHERS AS AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO THIS CHALLENGE, ALLOWING FARMERS TO ESTABLISH COVER CROPS EARLIER IN THE SEASON AND REAP THEIR BENEFITS IN THE CONFINES OF A SHORT GROWING SEASON. INTERSEEDING COVER CROPS IS AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE FEASIBILITY OF COVER CROPPING AND DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE TOTAL ACREAGE ON WHICH COVER CROPS ARE PLANTED. HOWEVER, MOST PLANT BREEDING AND AGRONOMIC RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED IN THE CONTEXT OF MONOCULTURE, AND OUR KNOWLEDGE OF CULTIVAR PERFORMANCE AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS) IN INTERSEEDED AND OTHER INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS REMAINS LIMITED. THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON INTERSEEDING COVER CROPS AS A WAY TO IMPROVE COVER CROP ESTABLISHMENT AFTER CORN AND INCREASE THE OVERALL ADOPTION OF COVER CROPS IN FIELD CROP PRODUCTION IN THE US. SPECIFIC PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE A VARIETY TRIAL IN INTERSEEDING SYSTEMS, DEVELOPMENT OF INTERSEEDING-ADAPTED COVER CROP POPULATIONS, AND DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-THROUGHPUT PHENOTYPING METHODS FOR INTERSEEDING SYSTEMS. MANY OF THE EMERGING AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY ARISE OUT OF A CONFLICT BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. THESE PROBLEMS ARE COMPLEX AND WILL REQUIRE INNOVATIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY SOLUTIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO BE CRITICAL IN PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR AN EARLY-CAREER FACULTY MEMBER USINGMULTIDISCIPLINARY, PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF FARMERS. HER TRAINING WILL ALSO IMPROVE HER ABILITY TO TEACH STUDENTS AND FARMERS IN THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES NEEDED TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. THE APPLICANT WILL RECEIVE BOTH FORMAL TRAINING (THROUGH WORKSHOPS/SHORT COURSES) AND INFORMAL TRAINING (THROUGH MENTORSHIP AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING) IN FACILITATION, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, AND PLANT PHENOTYPING.