** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO ENSURE RELEASE OF PEANUT CULTIVARS RESILIENT TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE TO ALLOW PRODUCERS OF THE VIRGINIA AND CAROLINAS (VC) PEANUT GROWING REGION TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVENESS IN THE MARKETPLACE. THIS WILL BE REALIZED THROUGH EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPED LINES WITHIN THE WELL-ESTABLISHED PEANUT VARIETY AND QUALITY EVALUATION (PVQE) MULTI-STATE PROGRAM WITH THE ADDITION OF NEW HIGH-THROUGHPUT METHODS AND TRAITS FOR ACCURATE SELECTION OF 1) EARLY MATURING PEANUT CULTIVARS WITH 2) TOLERANCE TO HEAT AND DRY CONDITIONS AND 3), RESISTANCE TO SOUTHERN CORN ROOTWORM (SCRW), USING SMART TECHNOLOGIES AND COMPUTER ALGORITHMS. THIS PROPOSAL FULLY ADDRESSES THE PROGRAM AREA PRIORITIES FOR TESTING AND EVALUATION OF DEVELOPED MATERIALS IN PIPELINE FOR RELEASE USING A WELL-ESTABLISHED PVQE REGIONAL PROGRAM. IT HAS INDUSTRY' S SUPPORT AND STAKEHOLDERS' S INVOLVEMENT WITH RELEASE DECISIONS (THROUGH THE PVQE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, PVQEAC), MARKETABILITY (SHELLERS AND PROCESSORS), SEED PRODUCTION, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES (UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS), AND HAS POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE ITS RELEVANCE TO THE BREEDING PROGRAMS AT NCSU AND TAREC. EDUCATION OF FIELD-BASED PEANUT BREEDERS AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CAN BE ACCOMMODATED THROUGH COLLABORATIONS OF THE PI WITH NATIONAL AND AFRICAN PEANUT BREEDERS, WELL ESTABLISHED THROUGH PREVIOUS NIFA/AFRI AND USAID PROJECTS. ONCE VALIDATED, THE NEW METHODS DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS PROJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN FUTURE PVQE TESTING. THIS WILL IMPROVE AND DIVERSIFY THE COORDINATED EFFORTS OF THE MULTI-STATE PVQE PROJECT TO HELP SELECTION OF IMPROVED PEANUT CULTIVARS FOR THE VC REGION AND TO MEET THE INDUSTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF PEANUT.