** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PROJECT SUMMARYVEGETABLES OF THE FAMILY BRASSICACEAE (BRASSICA VEGETABLES), WHICH INCLUDES COLLARDS, POSSESS VITAMINS, AND ANTI-CARCINOGENIC AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES. BRASSICA VEGETABLES ARE RICH DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUCOSINOLATES (PRECURSORS TO A GROUP OF ANTI-CARCINOGENIC ISOTHIOCYANATES). COLLARDS (BRASSICA OLERACEAL. ACEPHALA) ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN CUISINE IN THE SOUTHERN U.S., BUT HYDROPONIC GROWING ALLOWS A MORE WIDESPREAD SMALL-SCALE PRODUCTION OF THIS CROP LOCALLY UNDER DIFFERENT CLIMATES NATIONWIDE. IN ADDITION TO CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEINS, AND ESSENTIAL MINERALS THE USDA-ARS DATABASE REPORTS THAT 100 G FRESH WEIGHT OF RAW COLLARDS CONTAINS AS MUCH AS 546.4% OF THE DAILY VALUE OF VITAMIN K, WHICH PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN HELPING THE BLOOD TO CLOT AND PREVENT EXCESSIVE BLEEDING; VITAMIN A (8.4% BETA-CAROTENE AND 16.7% RETINOL), 58.8% VITAMIN C, 8.3% VITAMIN B6, AND 7.6% RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2). THIS RESEARCH WILL UTILIZE CURRENT EXPERTISE AND ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE FROM OVER A DECADE OF HYDROPONIC CROP PRODUCTION RESEARCH AT LINCOLN UNIVERSITY-MISSOURI TO IDENTIFY CROP MANAGEMENT-ASSOCIATED VARIABILITY OF HEALTH-BENEFICIAL GLUCOSINOLATES IN COLLARDS. INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF CROPPING PRACTICES APPROPRIATE TO PRODUCE COLLARDS WITH HIGHER AND CONSISTENT CONCENTRATIONS OF GLUCOSINOLATES ENHANCES THE DEVELOPMENT OF HYBRIDS WITH IMPROVED DIETARY QUALITIES. PROPOSED APPROACHES TO EXECUTING THIS PROJECT INVOLVE GROWING COLLARDS IN NFT HYDROPONIC CULTURE AND EXTRACTING LEAF-, STEM, AND ROOT TISSUE FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. TOTAL GLUCOSINOLATES, VITAMIN K, AND CAROTENOIDS WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND QUANTIFIED BY GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY FROM THE PRODUCTS OF HYDROLYSIS, ISOTHIOCYANATES, AND OXAZOLIDINE,2,THIONES. CONFIRMATION OF THE IDENTITY OF AGLUCONS FROM EACH COLLARD CULTIVAR WILL BE MADE BY A UHPLC/MS/MS TANDEM SYSTEM.