**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** INCREASED AGRICULTURAL PEST PRESSURE AND HEIGHTENED DEMANDS FOR REDUCING RELIANCE ON CHEMICAL CONTROLS NECESSITATES FINDING ALTERNATIVE SUSTAINABLE PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES. NATURALLY OCCURRING SOIL-DWELLING MICROORGANISMS CAN BOOST AGRICULTURAL CROP RESISTANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS, INCLUDING INSECT PESTS, BUT HARNESSING MICROORGANISMS FOR IMPROVED CROP PRODUCTION REMAINS CHALLENGING. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO CHARACTERIZE CROP-PROTECTIVE MICROORGANISMS FROM DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN CROP RESISTANCE. SPECIFICALLY, THE PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE ROLE OF MICROORGANISMS IN CORN AND COTTON RESISTANCE TO A CHALLENGING INSECT PEST, FALL ARMYWORM (SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA). FALL ARMYWORM IS CURRENTLY DEVASTATING CORN AND COTTON PRODUCTION ACROSS THE GLOBE. IN THE UNITED STATES, FALL ARMYWORM PERSISTS AS A SIGNIFICANT AGRICULTURAL PEST WITH FEW TOOLS TO COMBAT ITS SPREAD, CALLING FOR INNOVATIVE CONTROL APPROACHES. UTILIZING NATURALLY OCCURRING MICROORGANISMS TO BOLSTER CORN AND COTTON RESISTANCE AGAINST FALL ARMYWORM INFESTATIONS PROVIDES A NOVEL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY STRATEGY FOR MANAGEMENT OF THIS INSECT PEST. TO ISOLATE AND IDENTIFY CROP-PROTECTIVE MICROORGANISMS, SOIL FROM FIELDS WITH DIFFERENT HISTORIES OF PLANTINGS WILL BE COLLECTED AND DNA FROM MICROORGANISMS WILL BE EXTRACTED IN THE LABORATORY. EXTRACTED DNA WILL ALLOW FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF MICROORGANISMS PRESENT IN SOIL SAMPLES. THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT MICROORGANISMS ON CORN AND COTTON PLANTS WILL BE EVALUATED IN A GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENT. CORN AND COTTON PLANTS WILL BE GROWN WITH DIFFERENT MICROORGANISMS AND THEN CHALLENGED BY FALL ARMYWORM FEEDING, ASSESSING CHANGES IN CROP RESISTANCE TO INSECT PESTS THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON DIFFERENT MICROORGANISMS. HOW FALL ARMYWORM FEEDING ALTERS MICROORGANISMS WILL ALSO BE EVALUATED, DETERMINING IF CORN OR COTTON PLANTS RECRUIT SPECIFIC MICROORGANISMS TO ENHANCE RESISTANCE. ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ADVANCE INSECT PEST CONTROL THROUGH THEUSE OF NATURALLY OCCURRING MICROORGANISMS. IMPROVING SUSTAINABLE PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES WILL INCREASE AGRICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTION AND REDUCE RELIANCE ON CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES TO CONTROL INSECT PESTS. LONG-TERM, THIS PROJECT WILL ENHANCE SAFETY OF FOOD AND FIBER SUPPLY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENTISTS.