Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** micro-predators are an essential…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** micro-predators are an essential part of healthy organic soils, but the impact of organic management on most predators is unknown. This project will investigate how organic matter amendments affect soil micro-predator diversity to promote crop health. Aligned with the organic agriculture research and extension initiative (orei) 2024 priorities 1, 4, 5, and 8, IT focuses on critical aspects of organic farming, including disease management and soil health, as well as development of educational materials. The primary goal is to enhance organic growers' understanding of the function of soil micropredator communities by examining the interactions between soil organic matter, microbiomes, and plant health. To accomplish this goal, our multidisciplinary team will:- identify organic management and soil effects on predator function by conducting a predator-OME and soil health survey across 12 organic tomato farms in four states (OBJ. 1).- discover how different types of organic soil amendments support predator function and pathogen suppressiveness by conducting controlled microcosm experiments (OBJ. 2).- confirm and apply new knowledge of predator function by developing predator-based soil inoculants and grower testing kits (OBJ. 3).- educate growers and students about the role of soil predators through extension and curricular activities (OBJ. 4).this integrated approach of research, teaching, and outreach aims to provide actionable insights for organic farmers, promoting crop productivity and sustainable soil health management. The project's design reflects the needs of organic farmers identified in our orei planning grant surveys and workshops, ensuring its relevance and potential impact in the organic farming community.