**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE ACCELERATING EVOLUTION OF HERBICIDE RESISTANCE IN NUMEROUS WEED SPECIES THREATENS GAINS IN SOIL HEALTH AND CARBON STORAGE AS FARMERS RETURN TO INTENSIVE TILLAGE FOR WEED MANAGEMENT. COVER CROPS ARE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR SUPPRESSING WEEDS IN NO-TILL SOYBEAN PRODUCTION AND IMPROVING SOIL HEALTH. HOWEVER, MANAGING COVER CROPS FOR WEED SUPPRESSION IS INHERENTLY COMPLICATED BY HIGH SPATIAL VARIABILITY IN COVER CROP PERFORMANCE AND WEED POPULATIONS. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO AID FARMERS IN THEIR USE OF COVER CROPS, AT THE PRODUCTION SCALE, AS PART OF AN INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. WE WILL DEVELOP SENSING TECHNOLOGY FOR MAPPING AND MONITORING COVER CROP AND WEED SPECIES AND BIOMASS THAT ASSISTS SOYBEAN FARMERS IN PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING. PLANTMAP3D, AN INTEGRATED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SOLUTION FOR PLANT SPECIES, DENSITY, AND BIOMASS MAPPING, WILL BE DEPLOYED IN FIVE MAJOR SOYBEAN PRODUCING STATES. WE WILL COLLECT DATA ON THE IMPACT OF CEREAL RYE COVER CROP BIOMASS ON WEED POPULATIONS AND ELUCIDATE HOW FIELD PRODUCTIVITY ZONES INFLUENCE WEED SUPPRESSION WITH COVER CROPS. TO ACCELERATE APPLICABILITY OF THE TECHNOLOGY, WE WILL ITERATIVELY IMPROVE THE PLANTMAP3D SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION USE BY CONDUCTING USER-TESTING WITH FARMER PARTNERS AND ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDERS ON THEIR USER EXPERIENCE. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES NIFA AND USB PRIORITIES BY DEVELOPING LOW-COST PRECISION TOOLS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR OPTIMIZING COVER CROP MANAGEMENT FOR WEED SUPPRESSION AND SOIL HEALTH AND IS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO USB COMMODITY TOPIC #12. THIS PROPOSAL IS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO A SINGLE SPECIFIC COMMODITY BOARD TOPIC LISTED ABOVE.