**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** NEVADA AGRICULTURE FACES MANY CHALLENGES RESULTING FROM ITS SEMI-ARID CLIMATE, SHORT GROWING SEASON, AND DECLINING SNOWPACK. DIVERSIFYING THE STATE'S CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS OFFERS GREATER SUSTAINABILITY TO GROWERS IN NEVADA. INDUSTRIAL HEMP, A MULTIPURPOSE CROP, WAS IDENTIFIED AS A POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE CROP IN A STATEWIDE NEED ASSESSMENT THAT COULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT WATER SAVINGS, ENHANCE AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY AND PROVIDE RESILIENCE TO RURAL ECONOMIES IN NEVADA. WE PROPOSE TO CONDUCT APPLIED RESEARCH TO DISCERN AGRONOMIC BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE HEMP PRODUCTION IN NEVADA. THIS PROJECT HAS FOUR MAIN OBJECTIVES: (I) DETERMINE TO WHAT EXTENT NITROGEN FERTILIZATION RATES AND TILLAGE PRACTICES AFFECT INDUSTRIAL HEMP GRAIN YIELDS, FIBER BIOMASS, AND QUALITY IN SEMI-ARID ENVIRONMENTS, (II) IDENTIFY SHORT-TERM CHANGES IN SOIL PROPERTIES, INCLUDING MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES, IN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN FERTILIZATION RATES AND TILLAGE PRACTICES USED FOR INDUSTRIAL HEMP PRODUCTION, (III) DETERMINE THE RESPONSE OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP GROWTH, CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL, EVAPOTRANSPIRATION, AND YIELD TO VARIABLE IRRIGATION RATES, AND (IV) DEMONSTRATE AND DISSEMINATE INDUSTRIAL HEMP RESEARCH RESULTS THROUGH A MULTIFACETED APPROACH. THIS SEED GRANT REPRESENTS AN ESSENTIAL INITIAL STEP TOWARDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE THE GRAIN AND FIBER YIELD POTENTIAL OF VARIOUS HEMP VARIETIES AND THEIR RESPONSE TO MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN NEVADA AND WILL LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR A FUTURE STUDY TO DEVELOP REGIONALLY-BASED INDUSTRIAL HEMP PRODUCTION PRACTICES USING REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE.