** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** A COMMON FEATURE OF PLANT RESPONSE TO STRESS IS THAT, WHEN PLANTS ARE SUBJECTED TO REPEATED STRESS, THEIR PROGENY MAY PERFORM BETTER UNDER THE STRESS THAN THEIR PARENTS. THIS IMPLIES THAT PLANTS CAN STORE AND RECOLLECT MEMORIES OF PAST STRESS, A PHENOMENON KNOWN AS PLANT MEMORY RESPONSE. MEMORY RESPONSE CAN BE BENEFICIAL OR DETRIMENTAL. IN CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, MEMORY RESPONSE HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN PLANT DEFENSE AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS, PATHOGENS, AND HERBIVORY. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY RESEARCH ON HOW MEMORY RESPONSE AFFECTS CROP-WEED INTERACTION. IF EXPOSING CROPS TO MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF WEED COMPETITION ELICITS A BENEFICIAL MEMORY RESPONSE, IT IS EXPECTED THE PROGENY MAY BE MORE COMPETITIVE WITH WEEDS THAN THE PARENTS. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE COMPETITIVE CROP CULTIVARS AND THUS, CONTRIBUTING TO SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION. IN THIS RESEARCH-ONLY SEED GRANT APPLICATION, WE PROPOSE GREENHOUSE AND LABORATORY STUDIES TO EVALUATE THE GROWTH, DEVELOPMENTAL, AND GENETIC BASIS OF WHEAT RESPONSE TO MULTIGENERATIONAL EXPOSURE TO WEED PRESSURE. OUR SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE: (I) ASSESS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN WHEAT IN RESPONSE TO MULTIGENERATION WEED COMPETITION, (II) EVALUATE HORMONAL EXPRESSION AMONG FIVE GENERATIONS OF COMPETITION AND THE PARENT SEED, AND (III) ASSESS EPIGENETIC PATTERNS AND GENE EXPRESSION IN SPRING WHEAT RESPONSE TO MULTIGENERATIONAL WEED COMPETITION. SPRING WHEAT HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO BROADLEAF AND GRASSY WEED COMPETITION FOR FIVE GENERATIONS. SEEDS FROM THE FIVE GENERATIONS ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL SEED (PARENT SEED) WILL BE GROWN IN THE GREENHOUSE AT THE SAME TIME TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES IN GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, HORMONES, GENE EXPRESSION AS WELL AS DNA METHYLATION. RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE ON THE GROWTH, DEVELOPMENTAL, AND GENETIC BASIS OF WHEAT MEMORY RESPONSE TO WEED COMPETITION. THIS WILL PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION FOR DEVELOPING COMPETITIVE CROP VARIETIES FOR IMPROVED WEED COMPETITIVENESS AND YIELD.