CURRENT PREDICTIONS ARE THAT GLOBAL FOOD DEMANDS WILL OUTPACE AGRICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTION BY 2050. ALTHOUGH 80% OF THE ATMOSPHERE IS COMPOSED OF DINITROGEN GAS, IT IS INACCESSIBLE TO MOST PLANTS IN THAT FORM, MAKING NITROGEN AVAILABILITY ONE OF THE PRIMARY BARRIERS TO INCREASED CROP PRODUCTION. THIS LIMITATION SPAWNED THE DEVELOPMENT OF NITROGEN-BASED FERTILIZERS, WHICH MORE THAN TRIPLED GLOBAL CROP YIELDS. BETWEEN 1960 AND 2000, THE APPLICATION OF NITROGEN FERTILIZERS INCREASED ~800% CAUSING A DOUBLING OF GLOBAL CEREAL PRODUCTION. WITHOUT THEM, OVER FOUR TIMES AS MUCH LAND WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MEET CURRENT GLOBAL DEMAND. HOWEVER, CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS ARE EXTREMELY INEFFICIENT. LESS THAN 50% OF THE NITROGEN IS APPLIED IS CAPTURED BY CROPS SO MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS ARE OFTEN UTILIZED, BUT THIS HAS RESULTED IN SOIL ACIDIFICATION AND INCREASED EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES. AWARENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS HAS CREATED A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IN AGRICULTURE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY USING MORE EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNIQUES.ONE SUCH METHOD IS BY USING SOIL MICROBES THAT CAN SUPPLY PLANTS WITH USABLE NITROGEN THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION (BNF). UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF CURRENT AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH CREATING A SOIL ENVIRONMENT THAT IS HOSPITABLE FOR THESE BACTERIA. WE WILL COLLECT SOIL FROM DIFFERENT FIELD SITES BOTH AGRICULTURAL AND FROM UNDISTURBED PRAIRIE TO MEASURE AND CULTURE THESE NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA. WE WILL THEN GROW WHEAT IN SOIL FROM THESE SITES, AND ALSO IN THE PRESENCE OF THESE MICROBES TO MEASURE THE EFFECT ON PLANT TRAITS. WE HOPE TO SHOW THAT THE MICROBES IN PRAIRIE SOIL ARE MORE ABUNDANT, BETTER AT PROVIDING NITROGEN, AND LEAD TO MORE PRODUCTIVE CROPS. IF THIS IS TRUE, WE CAN ARGUE THAT AGRICULTURE SHOULD MOVE TOWARDS USING FEWER CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AND USE TILLING METHODS THAT ARE NOT AS DESTRUCTIVE FOR THE SOIL, WHICH CAN DECREASE THE ABUNDANCE OF THESE HELPFUL MICROBES. THE RESULTS FROM THIS WORK WILL PROVIDE SHAREHOLDERS AND RESEARCHERS WITH DATA ABOUT WAYS TO IMPROVE CROP YIELDS TO MEET GLOBAL FOOD DEMANDS IN MORE ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE WAYS.