DIVERSIFICATION OF CROPPING SYSTEMS CONFERS RESILIENCE TO BIOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES THAT ARE EXACERBATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE. COVER CROPPING IS A VALUABLE TOOL FOR ADDING FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY TO ROTATIONS BUT ADOPTION CAN BE LIMITED BY THE ASSOCIATED COSTS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF CASH CROP VARIETIES THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDE FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY WOULD REDUCE BARRIERS TO DIVERSIFICATION. HOWEVER, THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND OTHER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND THE ACCEPTABILITY OF TRADEOFFS FOR PRODUCERS REMAIN UNEXPLORED. WE PROPOSE TO ASSESS PERFORMANCE TRADEOFFS AND ACCEPTABILITY USING BUCKWHEAT AS A MODEL CROP. WE WILL I) ESTABLISH A BASELINE FOR AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE, ECOLOGICAL VALUE, AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY FOR A PANEL OF BUCKWHEAT COMMERCIAL VARIETIES AND BREEDING LINES AND II) ASSESS PRODUCER VALUATION OF THESE SERVICES. SPECIFICALLY WE WILL ASSESS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROVISIONING OF POLLINATOR AND WEED SUPPRESSIVE SERVICES, SEED YIELD,AND SEED PHENOLIC COMPOUND CONTENT WITHIN OUR PANEL. WE WILL ALSO CONDUCT A SURVEY THAT WILL EVALUATE PRODUCER WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT YIELD REDUCTIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR AGROECOLOGICAL AND OTHER AGRONOMIC TRAITS. OUR SURVEY WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE VARIETIES FOR OUR REGION AND IDENTIFY DIRECTIONS TO IMPROVE UPON THE BASELINE ESTABLISHED IN OBJECTIVE 1. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE CONSIDERABLE CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PD BRESLAUER. WE WILL ADDRESS TWO AFRI FARM BILL PRIORITY AREAS: FOOD SAFETY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH, AND PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS BY INCREASING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXTENT AND ACCEPTABILITY OF TRADEOFFS BETWEEN AGRONOMIC, AGROECOLOGICAL, AND NUTRITIONAL TRAITS.?