**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** TOMATOES ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMONLY CONSUMED VEGETABLES IN THE U.S. AND WORLDWIDE PRIZED FOR THEIR RICH NUTRITIONAL PROFILE. THEY ARE EXCELLENT SOURCES OF ESSENTIAL VITAMINS LIKE A C E K AND FOLATE AS WELL AS MINERALS SUCH AS POTASSIUM IRON AND MAGNESIUM. TOMATOES ARE ALSO HIGH IN FIBER WITH ONE CUP OF CHERRY TOMATOES PROVIDING APPROXIMATELY TWO GRAMS AND THEY CONTAIN LYCOPENE A POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANT LINKED TO VARIOUS HEALTH BENEFITS.IN TENNESSEE TOMATOES HOLD SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE IN THE STATE'S AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE. THE STATE IS A MAJOR PRODUCER OF FRESH-MARKET TOMATOES WITH PRODUCTION STEADILY INCREASING SINCE 2001. THIS SUCCESS IS DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY LOCAL SMALL FARMERS WHO NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE STATE'S ECONOMY BUT ALSO SUPPORT RURAL COMMUNITIES. FRESH TOMATOES FROM TENNESSEE REACH CONSUMERS THROUGH FARMERS' MARKETS AND OTHER RETAIL CHANNELS PROVIDING ACCESS TO LOCALLY GROWN HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCE. FOR SMALL-FARM PRODUCERS TOMATOES ARE A MAJOR CASH CROP ESSENTIAL FOR RURAL ECONOMIES SUPPORTING LOCAL LIVELIHOODS AND ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY OF FRESH NUTRITIOUS PRODUCE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.HOWEVER RISING TEMPERATURES ARE CREATING SUBSTANTIAL CHALLENGES FOR FRESH TOMATO PRODUCTION. SMALL FARMERS WHO FORM THE BACKBONE OF FRESH-MARKET TOMATO PRODUCTION ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO THESE CLIMATE-DRIVEN CHANGES. MANY HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED ADVERSE EFFECTS SUCH AS REDUCED YIELDS POOR FRUIT QUALITY AND DISRUPTIONS IN PLANTING AND HARVESTING SCHEDULES. THIS GROWING RISK HIGHLIGHTS THE URGENT NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE AND CLIMATE-RESILIENT SOLUTIONS TO STABILIZE TOMATO PRODUCTION AND PROTECT THE LIVELIHOODS OF SMALL-SCALE PRODUCERS.THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON PROVIDING CRITICAL SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT SMALL FARMS IN FRESH-MARKET TOMATO PRODUCTION ADDRESSING THE IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES POSED BY RISING TEMPERATURES. BY DEPLOYING STRATEGIES SUCH AS PLANTING HEAT-TOLERANT VARIETIES OPTIMIZING PLANT AND SOIL-MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND INTEGRATING SMART AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES THE PROJECT AIMS TO IMPROVE RESILIENCE IN TOMATO FARMING. THE PROJECT'S ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE DIRECTLY ON FARMS ENABLING THE DEPLOYMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND TOOLS IN REAL TIME ENSURING PRACTICAL AND IMMEDIATE BENEFITS. LEVERAGING THE EXPERTISE OF SENIOR SCIENTISTS IN BOTH RESEARCH AND EXTENSION WILL BRIDGE CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND PROVIDE TIMELY SOLUTIONS FOR AFFECTED FARMERS. ADDITIONALLY COLLABORATION WITH COUNTY EXTENSION AGENTS AND THE CREATION OF EXTENSION MATERIALS WILL HELP ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT'S OUTCOMES ARE WIDELY ADOPTED ACROSS THE FARMING COMMUNITY.THE PROJECT ENTAINS TWO MAJOR OBJETIVES. OBJECTIVE 1 IS TO DEVELOP A CLIMATE-RESILIENT TOMATO PRODUCTION SYSTEM (CRTPS). FACULTY AT TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY (TSU) WILL UTILIZE THEIR EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES TO ASSIST LOCAL FARMS IN DIVERSIFYING TOMATO VARIETIES ADOPTING GRAFTED TOMATO PLANTS TO ENHANCE ROOT SYSTEMS AND IMPROVE WATER BALANCE AND HEAT TOLERANCE AND EMPLOYING VARIOUS TYPES OF PLASTIC MULCH TO MANAGE SOIL MICROCLIMATES. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INTEGRATE SMART FARMING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP FARMERS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. DEMONSTRATION PLOTS WILL BE ESTABLISHED ON THREE FARMS TO DEPLOY AND SHOWCASE THE CRTPS WHILE SMART AGRICULTURE TOOLS WILL BE USED TO MONITOR PLANT HEALTH AND SOIL CONDITIONS. OBJECTIVE 2 IS TO PROMOTE THE CRTPS THROUGH EXTENSION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP EXTENSION TOOLS THAT INTEGRATE ON-FARM DEMONSTRATION MATERIALS AND DELIVER THEM TO A BROAD COMMUNITY OF STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING SESSIONS.THE PROJECT'S OUTCOMES WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROTECTION AND STABILIZATION OF FRESH-MARKET TOMATO PRODUCTION PARTICULARLY FOR SMALL FARMERS BY EQUIPPING THEM WITH CLIMATE-RESILIENT STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS RISING TEMPERATURES AND UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER PATTERNS. THESE EFFORTS WILL HELP STABILIZE YIELDS ENSURING A CONSISTENT SUPPLY OF HIGH-QUALITY TOMATOES FOR LOCAL MARKETS. ADDITIONALLY THE PROJECT WILL ENHANCE HUMAN HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY BY ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY OF NUTRITIOUS LOCALLY GROWN TOMATOES. BY IMPROVING THE RESILIENCE OF TOMATO FARMING SYSTEMS THE PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A STEADY FOOD SUPPLY BENEFITING BOTH THE LOCAL AND THE BROADER COMMUNITIES.