** 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 GOAL IS TO PROVIDE CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE IMPACT THAT SEED PROCESSING HAS ON COTTON SEED QUALITY BY MEASURING HOW BOTH MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL EXPOSURES MAY MODIFY THE SEED'S PHYSIOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE GROWN IN BOTH OPTIMAL AND STRESSFUL CONDITIONS. THE RESEARCH THAT WILL BE CONDUCTED IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO IMPROVING THE UNDERSTANDING OF GENETIC, BIOTIC, AND ABIOTIC FACTORS IMPACTING COTTON SEED QUALITY THAT CAN LEAD TO IMPROVED VALUE AND PROFITABILITY (A.8) FOR THE PROGRAM'S GOALS. WE WILL COLLABORATE DIRECTLY WITH THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO INFORM THEM WHAT STEP OF THE PROCESS POTENTIALLY HAS THE GREATEST IMPACT ON SEED QUALITY AND SEED VIGOR. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO DATA REPORTED THAT INCLUDES HOW THE ENTIRE SEED PROCESSING CHAIN IMPACTS SEED QUALITY BEFORE SEED SALE RELATING TO THE TYPE OF VISUALLY MECHANICALLY DAMAGED (VMD) SEED SEVERITY. THIS RESEARCH DIRECTLY ASSISTS THE SEED INDUSTRY BY STUDYING THE POSSIBLE CHANGES IN SEED METABOLITES (CHANGES TO THE FATTY ACID PROFILES, AMINO ACIDS, OVERALL PROTEIN, AND OIL CONTENT) THAT HINDER SEED GERMINATION AND DECLINES SEED VIGOR BASED ON THE IMPOSED ABIOTIC STRESS CAUSED BY BOTH MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL DAMAGE(S). WE ARE PROPOSING A TESTABLE HYPOTHESIS THAT USES A BIOSTIMULANT COMPOSED OF AMINO ACIDS TO HELP THE SEED METABOLIZE NECESSARY METABOLITES TO MEASURE THE POTENTIAL OF A HIGHER GERMINATION RATE OF DAMAGED SEED BY ASSISTING THE METABOLISM OF FATTY ACIDS THAT MAY DECREASE GERMINATION RATES.