** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** VARIOUS HERBIVOROUS INSECTS ARE MAJOR PESTS IN CROP PRODUCTION, RESPONSIBLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 10% OF CROP YIELD LOSSES. IN THE SEARCH FOR NOVEL STRATEGIES FOR INSECT CONTROL, HOST PLANT RESISTANCE OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SYNTHETIC INSECTICIDES AND BT TRANSGENICS TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION. AMONG DIVERSE FORMS OF HOST PLANT RESISTANCE IS THE ABILITY OF SOME PLANTS TO SYNTHESIZE SECONDARY METABOLITES THAT HAVE INSECT HORMONE ACTIVITIES. SEVERAL SPECIES OF SEDGE PLANTS, REPRESENTED BYCYPERUS IRIA, SYNTHESIZE INSECT JUVENILE HORMONE III (JH III) FOR INSECT DEFENSE. BASED ON PREVIOUS STUDIES AND OUR PRELIMINARY WORK, THE HYPOTHETICAL JH III BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY IN SEDGE PLANTS CONTAINS FIVE ENZYMATIC STEPS. SO FAR, NO GENE OF THE JH III BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY IN SEDGE PLANTS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO CREATE HEALTHY CROP PLANTS WITH ENHANCED RESISTANCE TO INSECTS BY PRODUCING JH III AS HORMONAL INSECTICIDE. THERE ARE THREE OBJECTIVES IN THIS PROPOSAL: (1) IDENTIFY ALL CANDIDATE GENES OF THE JH BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY INC. IRIA, (2) DETERMINE THE CATALYTIC FUNCTIONS OF THE ENZYMES ENCODED BY CANDIDATE GENES TO VERIFY THEIR ROLE IN JH III BIOSYNTHESIS, (3) ENGINEER THE FIVE-GENE JH III BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY FROMC. IRIAINTO TOMATO AND EVALUATE TRANSGENIC TOMATO PLANTS FOR RESISTANCE AGAINST INSECTS.THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE NEW TOOLS AND STRATEGIES FOR GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF CROPS FOR ENHANCED RESISTANCE AGAINST INSECT PESTS, WHICH, CONSEQUENTLY, CAN BENEFIT BOTH GROWERS AND CONSUMERS.