Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this integrative project…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this integrative project addresses the following UIE priorities: 1) identifying and promoting the horticultural, social, and economic factors that contribute to successful urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production systems; 2) developing new crop varieties and agricultural products to connect to new markets; 3) exploring new technologies that minimize energy, improve water management, and other inputs for increased food production.specific objectives include: 1) maximize productivity and profitability of aquaponics (AP) by testing different combinations of 5 high- value fish species/strains with alternative plants and different regimes of fish density and water temperature; 2) develop novel business models through economic analysis of the different production model systems; 3) analyze rhizosphere metagenomes and metatranscriptomes to determine the structure and function of microbe communities that are present and perform trials with supplementing microbes to enhance nutrient cycling; 4) model the relationships between rhizobiomes, fish, and plant production; 5) test the production model systems in at least 3 commercial facilities located in different climate zones; 6) disseminate research and on-farm testing results to the AP industry and end-users through extension foundation, fact sheets, and online tools, and 7) provide classroom and hands-on training and mentoring to AP farmers/operators through workshops, AP facility tours and other extension tools the objectives will be accomplished through transdisciplinary efforts, partnerships and collaborations of 2 universities, and 3-4 commercial AP facilities. This project is expected to contribute to 1) enhancing UIE sustainability and satisfying human food and fiber needs; 2) enhancing quality of life and access to safe nutritious food for urban and native american communities, and society as a whole; and 3) reducing barriers to land access, and 4) sustaining the economic viability of urban farm operations.