**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE WIDESPREAD PATHOGENIC FUNGI INFECTING MANY ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT CROPS THAT THREATENTHE LIVELIHOOD OF THE VAST CROP FARMERS HAS PROMPTED RESEARCHERS TO DEVELOP DIFFERENT FUNGICIDES TO CONTROL THE DISEASES. HOWEVER, PROBLEMS WITH EXCESSIVE APPLICATIONS OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PESTICIDES FOR CROP PROTECTION INCLUDE DESTRUCTION OF BIODIVERSITY, DEVELOPMENT OF FUNGICIDE RESISTANCE, AIR POLLUTION VIA PESTICIDE EVAPORATION, AND SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION, AND IT IS IMPERATIVE TO SEARCH FOR EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE REPLACEMENT AGENTS. THE GOAL OF THIS SEED GRANT PROJECT IS TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF PLASMA ACTIVATED WATER (PAW) AS A GREEN FUNGICIDE ALTERNATIVE PARTICULARLY WORKING FOR CONTROLLING AND MITIGATING THE CHICKPEA ASCOCHYTA BLIGHT DISEASE CAUSED BY THE FUNGAL PATHOGEN ASCOCHYTA RABIEI, AND TO INITIATE THE WORK FOR DEVELOPING A VIABLE PLASMA DISCHARGE TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCING SUCH PAW COST-EFFECTIVELY. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS PROJECT INCLUDE 1) ESTABLISHING A LAB-SCALE CLPD SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF PAW WITH UNIFORM CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES FOR INACTIVATING A. RABIEI SPORES; 2) INVESTIGATING THE INACTIVATION OF A. RABIEI SPORES BY DIRECT LIQUID PLASMA DISCHARGE AND PAW TREATMENT TO UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE CONTROL MECHANISM; AND 3) EVALUATINGPAW PERFORMANCE IN CHICKPEA FIELD FOR ASCOCHYTA BLIGHT DISEASE CONTROL AND MITIGATION.