NITROGEN (N) IS A KEY NUTRIENT REQUIRED FOR PLANT GROWTH. IN INTENSIVELY FARMED REGIONS, SUCH AS IOWA, MANY FARMERS APPLY N FERTILIZER TO THEIR FIELDS TO ENSURE THAT MAIZE HAS PLENTIFUL N TO SUSTAIN HIGH YIELDS. HOWEVER, THE PRODUCTIONAND EXCESS USE OF N FERTILIZER CAN POLLUTE OUR AIR AND WATERWAYS. IN CONTRAST, MUCH OF THE WORLD'S AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS LACK SUFFICIENT N TO SUSTAIN MAIZE PRODUCTION. THEREFORE, DEVELOPING MAIZE LINES THAT CAN GROW WELL WITH LESS N ARE BENEFICIAL TO AGRICULTURE WORLDWIDE.SINCE N IS MOST OFTEN ACQUIRED BY THE ROOTS IN THE SOIL, MANY ROOT TRAITS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE N ACQUISITION, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE AMOUNT OF N IS REDUCED. FOR INSTANCE, ROOTS THAT GROW AT A STEEP ANGLE AND ENABLE DEEP ROOTING MORE QUICKLY IMPROVE N ACQUISITION. THOUGH, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW THIS TRAIT IS CONTROLLED.FORTUNATELY, WE CAN MAKE USE OF THE EXISTING DIVERSITY WITHIN MAIZE TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM. MUCH OF THE GENOTYPIC DIVERSITY WE OBSERVE IN MAIZE IS DERIVED FROM TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS (TES), WHICH ARE SMALL BITS OF DNA THAT ARE ABLE TO REPLICATE AND MOVE AROUND THE GENOME. TES HAVE LONG BEEN THOUGHT TO BE JUNK DNA ACCUMULATING OVER EVOLUTIONARY TIME. NEW EVIDENCE HAS SHOWN THAT SOME TES ARE RESPONSIVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS AND MODULATE THE ACTIVITY OF NEIGHBORING GENES POTENTIALLY INDUCING CHANGES IN PHENOTYPE. THEREFORE, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO HARNESS THE POTENTIAL OF TES AS REGULATORS OF STRESS RESPONSES IN ORDER TO DEVELOP MAIZE LINES THAT OPTIMIZE N CAPTURE THROUGH BETTER DESIGNED ROOT SYSTEMS.