** 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 PROPOSED PROJECT AIMS TO ENHANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF COTTON PRODUCTION BY INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF COVER CROPS ON THE SOIL MICROBIOME AND ITS SUBSEQUENT EFFECTS ON COTTON DEVELOPMENT. THE PROJECT SEEKS TO ACHIEVE TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES: 1) INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF COVER CROP SPECIES ON SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, AND 2) EXAMINE THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT COVER CROP SPECIES ON COTTON ROOT DEVELOPMENT AND WATER- AND NUTRIENT-UPTAKE. SOILS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES ARE SEVERELY DEGRADED, AND METHODS TO IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH TO ARE CRITICAL TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION FOR THE FUTURE. EXISTING KNOWLEDGE SHOWS THAT COVER CROPS CAN INCREASE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON STORAGE, IMPROVE SOIL FERTILITY, AND ENHANCE SOIL STRUCTURE. HOWEVER, THE INFLUENCE OF COVER CROPS ON SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES AND THEIR ROLE IN COTTON DEVELOPMENT IS LESS UNDERSTOOD. THROUGH FIELD EXPERIMENTS AND SUBSEQUENT SOIL AND PLANT SAMPLE ANALYSES, THIS PROJECT WILL ASSESS THE ABUNDANCE AND FUNCTIONALITY OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN DIFFERENT COVER CROP TREATMENTS. THIS WILL INCLUDE MEASURING MICROBIAL BIOMASS, ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI COLONIZATION, AND AMPLICON SEQUENCING TO ANALYZE SOIL BACTERIAL AND ARCHAEAL COMMUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS OF COTTON, INCLUDING PHOTOSYNTHESIS, TRANSPIRATION, WATER USE EFFICIENCY, LEAF AREA INDEX, AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE, WILL BE PERFORMED, AND COTTON ROOT CHARACTERISTICS WILL BE MEASURED. THE PROJECT ADDRESSES THE AFRI COMMODITY BOARD CO-FUNDING TOPIC TO DEVELOP APPROACHES TO ENHANCE THE MICROBIOME IN COTTON PRODUCTION BY PROVIDING INSIGHTS INTO COVER CROP INFLUENCE ON THE SOIL MICROBIOME, LEADING TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF SOIL HEALTH AND IMPACTS ON COTTON PERFORMANCE.