**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 PROPOSAL, DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO THE NATIONAL POTATO PROMOTION BOARD NEEDS ASSESSMENT, ADDRESSES AFRI COMMODITY BOARD CO-FUNDING TOPICS (A1811) IN CROSSCUTTING PROGRAMS. POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.) FRENCH FRY TEXTURE IS AN IMPORTANT QUALITY TRAIT THAT INFLUENCES CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE. THIS STUDY INCORPORATES PHYSICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND GENETIC APPROACHES TO IDENTIFY KEY INFLUENCERS GOVERNING FRENCH FRY TEXTURE. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT STARCH STRUCTURES INFLUENCE THE TEXTURE OF FRENCH FRIES AND THAT GENOMIC MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH FRENCH FRY QUALITY TRAITS CAN BE IDENTIFIED. OUR RESEARCH GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY PHYSICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL FACTORS AND IDENTIFY GENOMIC REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF FRENCH FRIES. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO DEVELOP POTATO VARIETIES WITH THE DESIRABLE SENSORY ATTRIBUTES WITH AND FOR THE POTATO INDUSTRY AND POTATO BREEDERS. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA CORRELATES FRENCH FRY TEXTURE WITH MOUTHFEEL; SENSORY PERFORMANCE IN NINE DIFFERENT ADVANCED BREEDING CLONES FROM COLORADO AND HAS LED US TO DEVELOP THE PROPOSED STUDY, WHICH HAS THREE OBJECTIVES: 1. IDENTIFY THE STARCH CHARACTERISTICS OF AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF CELLS WALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TEXTURE OF FRENCH FRIES 2. INVESTIGATE THE BIOCHEMICAL VARIABILITY OF STARCH CHARACTERISTICS IN CULTIVARS, AND 3. CONDUCT GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY TO IDENTIFY GENOMIC REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FRENCH FRY SENSORY QUALITY TRAITS. WE WILL ACCOMPLISH PROJECT GOALS BY 1. INVESTIGATING THE MICROSCOPIC, PHYSICAL, AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF STARCH AND CORRELATE THE DATA WITH SENSORY QUALITY EVALUATIONS, AND 2. BY CONDUCTING A GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY ON RUSSET GERMPLASM FROM THE TRI-STATE BREEDING PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY GENOMIC REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SENSORY QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF FRENCH FRY POTATOES. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT BY PROVIDING MEASURABLE STARCH SCREENING CRITERIA (PHYSICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND GENETIC) FOR NEW POTATO CLONES; THESE WILL BE MORE EFFICIENTLY ADVANCED OR ELIMINATED IN EARLY STAGES OF CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT. THIS WORK WILL GIVE PROCESSORS A RELIABLE MEASUREMENT OF TUBER QUALITY FOR CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE.