**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PLANTS PRODUCE SECONDARY METABOLITES FOR DEFENSE, SIGNALING AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS. SEVERAL OF THESE PHYTOCOMPOUNDS COMPRISE BIOACTIVE PHYTONUTRIENTS WITH ANTIOXIDANT, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND IMMUNOSTIMULATORY ACTIVITY. OUR RESEARCH ON FOOD SAFETY IS SHOWING THAT PERSISTENCE OF THE ENTERIC PATHOGEN SALMONELLA ENTERICA ON LEAFY GREENS VARIES WITH PLANT GROWING CONDITIONS AND ABIOTIC STRESS. WE ARE LINKING THIS FOOD SAFETY BENEFIT TO THE PLANT METABOLOME. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT, THEREFORE, IS TO DEVELOP NOVEL, LOW-BUDGET PRACTICES FOR LEAFY GREENS PRODUCTION TO MANIPULATE THE PLANT METABOLOME AND, IN TURN, MODULATE PLANT-ASSOCIATED MICROBIOTA FOR ENHANCED FOOD SAFETY AND EXTENDED SHELF-LIFE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE EXPECT TO IMPROVE NUTRITIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL QUALITIES OF SALAD GREENS. THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE SUITABLE KALE AND LETTUCE CULTIVARS GROWN UNDER CONDITIONS THAT INCORPORATE REGULATED ABIOTIC STRESSES. WE PLAN TO SUBJECT PLANTS TO DROUGHT STRESS, ALONE, OR IN COMBINATION WITH LIGHT-AND TEMPERATURE RELATED STRESS, TO INDUCE OR ENHANCE THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF SECONDARY METABOLITES. THE OBJECTIVES ARE TO (1) INVESTIGATE FOOD SAFETY OUTCOMES AND SHELF-LIFE (2) IDENTIFY AND QUANTIFY ACTIVE METABOLITES AND (3) ASSESS SENSORY PROPERTIES AND CONSUMER PREFERENCE. TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE WILL ADOPT MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS, PLANT METABOLOMICS, MICROBIOME ANALYSIS, PLANT PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS, AND FOOD SENSORY AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL EVALUATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN NOVEL KALE AND LETTUCE PRODUCTS WITH ENHANCED FOOD SAFETY POTENTIAL, LONGER SHELF-LIFE AND IMPROVED NUTRITIONAL PROFILES WITHOUT COMPROMISING YIELD OR PREFERRED CONSUMER SENSORIAL TRAITS. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF INHERENT PLANT TRAITS TO ENHANCE FOOD SAFETY AND NUTRITION CONSTITUTES A NOVEL PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR HEALTHIER LEAFY GREENS AND STRONGER INDUSTRY COMPETITIVENESS.