** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** COTTON IS THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT CROP FOR TEXTILE FIBER PRODUCTION AND THE SECOND ONE FOR SEED OIL. ALTHOUGH COTTON IS CRUCIAL FOR THE GLOBAL AGRICULTURE ECONOMY, VARIOUS BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSORS AND FLUCTUATING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS JEOPARDIZE ITS PRODUCTION. FOR INSTANCE, COTTON YIELD IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON SIGNIFICANT NUTRIENT INPUTS, INCLUDING POTASSIUM (K), AND DROUGHT. SINCE ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THE SOIL K CONTENT IS PLANT AVAILABLE, PLANTS MUST DEVELOP EFFICIENT STRATEGIES FOR ITS UPTAKE. THE MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGY USED BY PLANTS TO ACQUIRE NUTRIENTS IS THE INTERACTION WITH ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI (AMF). THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO (1) INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF AMF ON K NUTRITION AND DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN EIGHT COTTON VARIETIES, (2) DEMONSTRATE THAT AMF CAN DIRECTLY TRANSPORT K TO COTTON PLANTS AND EVALUATE THE HOST PLANT CARBON INVESTMENT, AND (3) DESCRIBE THE GENETIC BASIS OF AMFINDUCED TOLERANCE TO LOW K CONDITION AND DROUGHT STRESS IN COTTON. AS A LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY APPLY ITS RESEARCH TO BENEFIT THE ECONOMIC, INTELLECTUAL, AND SOCIAL ENDEAVORS OF CITIZENS. OUR PROJECT WILL PROVIDE FUNDAMENTAL INSIGHTS INTO THE MECHANISMS GOVERNING THE SYMBIOTIC ACQUISITION OF K, AND THIS IS CRITICAL TO DEVELOPING NEW STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE DEPENDENCE ON ENERGY-INTENSIVE CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS. OUR PROJECT ADDRESSES THE AFRI COMMODITY BOARD CO-FUNDING TOPICS, AND PARTICULARLY TOPIC #11, BY INVESTIGATING HOW THE MICROBIO-COMPONENTS OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS CAN BE MANAGED TO IMPROVE CROP PRODUCTIVITY AND RESILIENCE TO LOW NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY AND STRESSFUL CONDITION.