** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** POTATOES ARE A STAPLE FOOD CROP GLOBALLY, CRITICAL TO FOOD SECURITY AND ECONOMIES. HOWEVER, THE POTATO TUBER BLEMISH DISEASE KNOWN AS POWDERY SCAB, CAUSED BY SPONGOSPORA SUBTERRANEA F. SP. SUBTERRANEA (SSS), POSES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT. THIS DISEASE CAUSES BLEMISHES ON THE TUBERS, MAKING THEM UNMARKETABLE. MOREOVER, SSS IS THE ONLY KNOWN VECTOR FOR THE VIRUS, POTATO MOP-TOP VIRUS (PMTV), WHICH CAN CAUSE TUBER NECROSIS AND RESULT IN END-OF-SEASON LOSSES FOR POTATO GROWERS. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES OR CHEMICAL TREATMENTS TO SUPPRESS EITHER PATHOGEN. TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, WE ARE INVESTIGATING HOW SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES MIGHT SUPPRESS POWDERY SCAB. WE AIM TO IDENTIFY OF BENEFICIAL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SUPPRESSION OF POWDERY SCAB BY CONDUCTING GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENTS WITH FIELD SOILS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO EITHER REDUCE OR SUPPORT DISEASE.WE ANTICIPATE THAT OUR RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE THE GROUNDWORK TO DEVELOP NEW TOOLS TO HELP FARMERS ASSESS THE RISK OF POWDERY SCAB AND PMTV IN THEIR FIELDS. ADDITIONALLY, WE AIM TO IDENTIFY AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES LINKED TO DISEASE SUPPRESSIVE ACTIVITY, ALLOWING GROWERS TO ADOPT PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE SOIL HEALTH. IN TOTAL, RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISEASE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT ARE BOTH EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE TO PREVENT END-OF-SEASON LOSSES CAUSED BY SSS AND PMTV. WE WILL BE SHARING OUR PROGRESS AND FINDINGS WITH THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC THROUGH AN ESTABLISHED LINKEDIN PROFILE AND PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS. THIS INITIATIVE IS A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARDS SECURING THE HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF POTATO CROPS, BENEFITING BOTH GROWERS AND CONSUMERS.