**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 RESEARCH PROJECT SEEKS TO EXAMINE WATER IRRIGATION AND HARVEST STRATEGIES IN PEANUT PRODUCTION AND DEVELOP AID TOOLS FOR IMPROVED SEED QUALITY AND REDUCED AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN PEANUT SEEDS. GEORGIA (54%) AND FLORIDA (10%) ARE THE LEADING PEANUT-PRODUCING STATES, WITH ~985,000 ACRES PLANTED ANNUALLY. LOWER SEED QUALITY AND HIGH AFLATOXIN LEVELS HAVE THREATENED THE ABILITY OF PRODUCERS TO GROW PEANUTS CONSISTENTLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND SUSTAINABLY. BECAUSE WATER PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN PEANUT SEED QUALITY AND ASPERGILLUSFLAVUS INFECTION, DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION STRATEGIES IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE HIGH-QUALITY SEEDS AND MITIGATE FUNGAL INFECTION. THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT IRRIGATION STRATEGIES ON SEED PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY AND AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION WILL BE EVALUATED WITH NINE COMBINATIONS OF THREE SOIL WATER TENSION LEVELS TO TRIGGER IRRIGATION (20 KPA, 40 KPA, AND 70 KPA). ADDITIONALLY, PRODUCERS' FIELDS WILL BE USED TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY AND ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF HARVESTING ADJACENT DRYLAND AREAS IN IRRIGATED FIELDS SEPARATELY FROM THE MAIN AREA FOR MITIGATION OF AFLATOXIN IN PEANUT LOADS. THIS PROPOSED MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH WILL ENABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH-BASED IRRIGATION (TERMED IRRIGATE2CHANGE) AND SPLIT HARVEST THRESHOLDS (TERMED SPLITHARVEST) CONSIDERING VARIABLE SEED QUALITY AND AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. THIS STUDY ALIGNS WITH THREE CARE PROGRAM AREA PRIORITIES: 'PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS', 'FOOD SAFETY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH', AND 'AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY'. PEANUT GROWER DECISIONS ARE DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE PRODUCT OF INTEREST (SEED) IS GROWN BELOWGROUND AND ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY IS COMPLICATED. THESE TOOLS WILL PROVIDE DECISION SUPPORT ON IRRIGATION AND HARVEST TO OPTIMIZE PERSONALIZED MANAGEMENT FOR PROFITABLE PEANUT PRODUCTION.