**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN SOIL HAVE MAJOR IMPACTS ON THE GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF PLANTS GROWING IN THEM. THE UNIQUE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THOSE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES AND DIFFERENT SPECIES OF PLANTS CAN DETERMINE WHICH PLANT SPECIES SUCCEED AND THE RESULTING MAKEUP OF PLANT COMMUNITIES. THUS, MICROBES ARE IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER WHEN WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH CONTROLLING WEEDS THAT ARE OUTCOMPETING OUR DESIRABLE AGRICULTURAL SPECIES. MICROBES COULD HELP US TO CONTROL WEEDS AND PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF AGRICULTURAL PLANTS, IF WE CAN FIND THE RIGHT MICROBES.THIS PROJECT EXAMINES THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SOIL MICROBES AND THE NOXIOUS WEED 'YELLOW STARTHISTLE' TO DETERMINE IF MICROBIAL TREATMENTS COULD BE USED TO SUPPRESS THE WEED AND FAVOR VALUABLE FORAGE GRASS INSTEAD. SOIL MICROBES THAT ASSOCIATE WITH BOTH STARTHISTLE AND FORAGE GRASS WILL BE ISOLATED AND USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE CAN ENHANCE GERMINATION OF SEEDS FROM FORAGE GRASS, ENHANCE THE GRASS'S ABILITY TO COMPETEWITH STARTHISTLE, AND/OR SUPPRESS STARTHISTLE'S ABILITY TO COMPETE WITH FORAGE GRASS. THE RESULTS OF THIS WORK WILL PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING NEW AND INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.