** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** OUR PROJECT IS SET TO TACKLE A MAJOR PROBLEM AFFECTING AGRICULTURE, SPECIFICALLY THE DISEASE KNOWN AS APPLE FIRE BLIGHT, CAUSED BY THE BACTERIUM E. AMYLOVORA. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL SOLUTION, A BACTERIAL STRAIN OF PSEUDOMONAS SOLI T307 (T307), WHICH CAN COUNTERACT THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF FIRE BLIGHT. THE T307 STRAIN PRODUCES A UNIQUE NATURAL COMPOUND, REJUAGRO A (RAA), WHICH HAS PROVEN EFFECTIVE IN COMBATTING E. AMYLOVORA. INITIAL TESTING IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS AND ON THE FIELD SHOWED PROMISE; HOWEVER, RAA PRODUCTION CAN FLUCTUATE DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE AND FIELD CONDITIONS.TO OVERCOME THIS, WE FOUND THAT NATURAL CHEMICAL INDUCERS CAN BE INTRODUCED TO CONSISTENTLY BOOST RAA PRODUCTION. THE PIVOTAL PART OF OUR APPROACH HINGES ON BLENDING THESE RAA INDUCERS WITH OUR BIOCONTROL AGENT, TO ENSURE THEIR EFFECTIVE APPLICATION IN THE FIELD. FURTHER TO THIS, WE ARE EXPLORING HOW TO ENHANCE THE IMMUNITY OF THE HOST PLANTS, IN COMBINATION WITH THE APPLICATION OF P. SOLI T307.THEULTIMATE GOAL OF OUR PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO PROTECT CROPS, ESPECIALLY APPLES AND PEARS, FROM FIRE BLIGHT FOR ORGANIC FARMERS, HELPING TO IMPROVE CROP YIELDS AND FARM PRODUCTIVITY.OUR WORK ALIGNS WITH THE OVERARCHING AIMS OF THE ORG PROJECT, PARTICULARLY IN PROTECTING PLANT HEALTH, EXPANDING MARKETS FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, AND PROVIDING ALTERNATIVES TO CLINICAL ANTIBIOTICS FOR DISEASE CONTROL IN AGRICULTURE. IN ESSENCE, WE'RE FOCUSED ON PUSHING FORWARD SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, ENSURING HEALTHIER CROPS AND A BETTER FUTURE FOR FARMERS AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY.