** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SOILBORNE DISEASES OF CULTIVATED STRAWBERRY ARE AN INCREASINGLY CRITICAL ECONOMIC BURDEN IN BOTH NURSERY AND FRUIT PRODUCTION. THE TWO MOST DAMAGING AND WIDESPREAD SOILBORNE DISEASES IN THE US ARE PHYTOPHTHORA CROWN ROT (PHCR) AND CHARCOAL ROT (CR).THE LEADING CULTIVARS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ONE OR BOTH DISEASES, AND CHEMICAL CONTROLS ARE EITHER EXPENSIVE OR INEFFECTIVE. CULTIVARS WITH IMPROVED RESISTANCE ARE AN URGENT NEED AND OFFER THE MOST SUSTAINABLE FORM OF CONTROL. OUR GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY SEQUENCE VARIATIONS AND GENES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RESISTANCE AND EMPLOY CONVENTIONAL STRATEGIES ALONGWITH MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION BREEDING EFFORTS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY INTROGRESS RESISTANCE INTO STRAWBERRY CULTIVARS.TO ACCELERATE THE RESISTANT BREEDING, WE WILL ALSO DEVELOP NEW MOLECULAR BREEDINGTOOLS AND RESOURCES AIMED AT ENHANCING STRAWBERRY VARIETIES WITH DESIRABLE TRAITS SUCH AS SWEETNESS, FLAVORFUL, AND HIGH LEVEL OF DISEASE RESISTANCE. THROUGHOUT THIS RESEARCH PROJECT, IMPROVED GERMPLASM WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE US STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY AND BREEDING COMMUNITIESAS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF AN INTEGRATED DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGY.