**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GOAL OF THIS SEED PROJECT IS TO LEVERAGE OUR EXISTING FIELD-BASED BIG DATA TO PILOT AND DEVELOP AN IRRIGATION SCHEDULING SOFTWARE THAT ADAPTS TO THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF IN-FIELD CONDITIONS AND IRRIGATION NEEDS.WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN ALGORITHMIC-GUIDED APPROACHTO OPTIMIZE A CROP'S WATER USE NEEDS. A FOCUS GROUP COMPRISED OF EXPERIENCED, SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED, BEGINNER, LIMITED RESOURCE, AND FEMALE FARMERS WILL BE FORMED IN YEAR 1 TO GAIN FARMERS' INPUTS AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE FORMULATION OF THE DRL REWARD FUNCTION. THE DRL ALGORITHMS WILL BE PROGRAMMED AS AN IRRIGATION AGENT THAT WILL CORRESPOND TO THE FARMERS' REWARD FUNCTION WITH DIFFERENT CHOICES OF WATER APPLICATION AMOUNTS TO MAXIMIZE SEASONAL NET RETURN. OUR PROPOSED MODEL WILL BE TESTED USING THE DATA FROM A 7-ACRE COTTON FIELD IRRIGATED BY A LATERAL MOVE IRRIGATION SYSTEM AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY'S EDISTO RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER. ALTHOUGH THIS SEED GRANT IS CURRENTLY LIMITED TO COTTON GROWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THE PROJECT HAS NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS AND THE ISS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED FOR ANY CROP IN ANY REGION BY INCORPORATING CLIMATIC, CROP IRRIGATION, AND SOIL DATA INTO THE DRL ALGORITHMS. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE ENGINEERING FOR PRECISION CROP AND WATER MANAGEMENT SUB-PRIORITY WITHIN THE AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM PRIORITY.