** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS (PPC, OPUNTIA SPP.) IS A NUTRITIOUS PERENNIAL THAT THRIVES IN SEMI-ARID REGIONSOF THE U.S. AND IS TREATED AS AN AGRICULTURAL NUISANCE WHERE CONSIDERABLE FEDERAL AND PRIVATERESOURCES ARE SPENT ON CACTUS ERADICATION PROGRAMS. THIS NUTRIENT AND PHYTOCHEMICAL-RICHRESILIENT CROP PRESENTS A SUPERIOR SUBSTRATE IN INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL AND BIOFUEL BIOREACTORFERMENTATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, PPC THRIVES ON ARID AND SEMI-ARID MARGINAL LAND NOT SUITABLE FOROTHER AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS THIS STAKEHOLDER-DRIVEN PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE A VERTICALLYINTEGRATED SUSTAINABLE PPC SYSTEM WITHIN FIVE OBJECTIVES: 1) ASSESSMENT OF YIELD, QUALITY OF PPCUNDER VARYING AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, STAKEHOLDER EXTENSION OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, BARRIERS OFIMPLEMENTATION 2) OPTIMIZATION OF FERMENTATION STRATEGIES TO CARBOXYLIC ACIDS THAT ARE PRECURSORSTO MANY AGROCHEMICALS AND BIOFUELS AND OPTIMIZATION AND STANDARDIZATION OF PPC-BASED FOODINGREDIENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH FOOD INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS; 3) EVALUATE GLUCOSE-REGULATINGPROPERTIES OF OPTIMIZED PPC-BASED FOODS IN HUMAN CLINICAL NUTRITION PILOT STUDIES, INCLUDINGEXTENSION OUTREACH AND EDUCATION FOR RURAL CONSUMERS; 4) CONDUCT SOCIO-ECONOMICASSESSMENT OF PPC PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION TO DEVELOP A RESILIENT AND IMPACTFUL PPCFOOD SYSTEMS. 5) ESTABLISHMENT OF EXTENSION OUTREACH AND EDUCATION NETWORK, HIGH-IMPACT RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDENTS AND 9-12TEACHERS WHILE BRINGING CUTTING-EDGE AGRICULTURAL, ENGINEERING, FOOD SCIENCE, AND NUTRITIONRESEARCH TO STUDENTS TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO ENGAGE CONFIDENTLY IN AGRICULTURAL ORSCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES AND CAREERS. PERFORM FEED-BACK-INTEGRATED INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTOF RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES. THIS PROJECT IS HIGHLY RELEVANT TO USDA PRIORITYAREAS: STRENGTHENING THE BIOECONOMY AND SUPPORTING NUTRITION SECURITY. THIS VERTICALLY INTEGRATEDPROJECT WILL DEVELOP A HIGH-VALUE PPC-BASED PRODUCTION CHAIN SUPPORTING LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOODSYSTEMS WHILE SUPPORTING NUTRITION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES AND MENTORING OUR FUTURELEADERS IN CLIMATE RESPONSIVE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING. THE VAST EXTENSION AND EDUCATIONNETWORKS OF INVOLVED EXPERIENCEDINSTITUTIONS WILL ENSURE LONGEVITY OF THIS PROGRAM.