** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WHILE FEED FIBER AND FUEL PRODUCED FROM AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES CONTRIBUTE OVER $325 BILLION TO THE U.S. ECONOMY AND REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUELS THERE IS SIGNIFICANT ROOM FOR GROWTH. HOWEVER NUMEROUS LOGISTICAL BARRIERS ALONG THE BIOMASS SUPPLY CHAIN LIMIT THIS GROWTH. FARMERS ARE LIMITED BY THE NEED TO PURCHASE COSTLY CROP-SPECIFIC HARVEST EQUIPMENT WHICH INCREASES PRODUCTION COSTS. THE HIGH COST AND LONG-TERM INVESTMENT (20-40 YEARS) FOR THIS EQUIPMENT HINDERS FARMERS' ABILITY TO DIVERSIFY CROPS AND CREATES AN ENTRY BARRIER FOR NEW GROWERS. IT ALSO AFFECTS EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER'S PROFITABILITY. THE BIOMASS PROCESSING INDUSTRY FACES CHALLENGES DUE TO DIFFERENT HARVEST FORMATS STORAGE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSING METHODS REQUIRED FOR DIFFERENT CROPS.THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO TEST THE VIABILITY SUSTAINABILITY AND ADOPTION POTENTIAL OF A UNIVERSAL FEEDSTOCK SUPPLY (UNIFY) CHAIN LOGISTICS SYSTEM THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE HARVEST AND POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS AND PREPROCESSING METHODS FOR MAJOR U.S. CROPS RESULTING IN INCREASED PRODUCTION OF SUSTAINABLE FEED FIBER AND BIOFUELS. NEW EQUIPMENT AND METHODS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR HARVEST AND POST-HARVEST OPERATIONS AND INTEGRATES THOSE WITH MORE EFFICIENT PREPROCESSING METHODS TO REDUCE COSTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. OUR RESEARCH TEAM WILL COLLABORATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO DESIGN OPTIMIZE AND DEMONSTRATE A PILOT UNIFY SYSTEM FOR SIX CROPS (CORN SOYBEAN COTTON HEMP CAMELINA SWITCHGRASS) THAT HAVE DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGIES AND COVER ALMOST HALF OF THE U.S. CROPLAND. THIS WORK WILL DEMONSTRATE THE UNIFY SYSTEM'S VIABILITY FOR OTHER CROPS WITH SIMILAR PHYSIOLOGIES LAYING THE GROUNDWORK NEEDED FOR ITS ADOPTION. IN ADDITION TO TESTING AND DEMONSTRATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE UNIFY SYSTEM FOR SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING WE WILL DESIGN AND DELIVER EXTENSION AND EDUCATION CURRICULA THAT SHIFT STAKEHOLDERS' PERSPECTIVES AND UNDERSTANDING OF NEW COST-EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT METHODS FOR IMPROVING BIOMASS PRODUCTION. THIS PROGRAMMING WILL ALSO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR INCREASING THE BIOECONOMY WORKFORCE.BY THE END OF THIS PROJECT WE WILL HAVE EVALUATED THE AGRONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE UNIFY SYSTEM AND DETERMINED THE FACTORS AFFECTING ITS SUSTAINABILITY. WE WILL ALSO HAVE ASSESSED THE NEEDS OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM MULTIPLE SECTORS DOCUMENTED SHIFTS IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOR REGARDING CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS VERSUS UNIFY AND DETERMINED THE ADOPTION POTENTIAL OF THE UNIFY SYSTEM. DEMONSTRATION OF THE UNIFY SYSTEM AT SCALE IS EXPECTED TO CATALYZE ADOPTION OF IT ENABLING PRODUCERS AND INDUSTRIES TO TAP INTO BURGEONING BIOBASED MARKETS AND IMPROVE THE RESILIENCE OF THE BIOECONOMY VIA INCREASED SUSTAINABLE CLIMATE-SMART PRODUCTION OF FEED FIBER AND BIOFUELS. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIOECONOMY CURRICULA WILL PROVIDE A TRAINED WORKFORCE THAT WILL FURTHER ENABLE ADOPTION OF UNIFY.