**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 SOUTHWESTERN REGIONAL POTATO CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WAS INITIATED 25 YEARS AGO BY COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, TEXAS A&AMP;M UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE SOUTHWEST POTATO INDUSTRY. IN RECENT YEARS, SUSTAINABILITY-RELATED TRAITS SUCH AS HEAT TOLERANCE, WATER AND NITROGEN-USE EFFICIENCY, AND REDUCTION OF PESTICIDES HAVE GAINED PRIORITY, WHILE HIGH YIELD OF MARKETABLE TUBERS AND HIGH TUBER QUALITY REMAIN CONSTANT SELECTION TARGETS. CROSSES BETWEEN PARENTS CARRYING COMPLEMENTARY TRAITS ARE FOLLOWED BY MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION (MAS) AND GENOMIC SELECTION (GS) FOR PROGENIES, AGRONOMIC, BIOTIC, AND ABIOTIC, AND POST-HARVEST EVALUATIONS IN STATE AND SOUTHWESTERN REGIONAL TRIALS. PROMISING SELECTIONS ADVANCE TO WESTERN REGIONAL TRIALS IN SIX STATES. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE SW PROJECT ALIGN WITH ALL FOUR PRIORITY AREAS DESCRIBED IN THE RFP AND ARE ADJUSTED BASED ON STAKEHOLDER INPUT. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE SOUTHWEST POTATO BREEDING EFFORTS, 68 CULTIVARS AND CLONAL SELECTIONS HAVE BEEN RELEASED OR CO-RELEASED (THE SW GROUP TOOK THE LEAD IN THE RELEASE OF 46). THESE POTATO CULTIVARS REPRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE NATIONAL POTATO ACREAGE AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIES IS INCREASING. SEVERAL POTATO CULTIVARS (NINE) RELEASED BY THE SOUTHWEST PROGRAM WERE LISTED IN 2022 AMONG THE TOP 50 GROWN IN THE NATION, REPRESENTING 18% OF THE VARIETIES AND14% OF THE SEED ACREAGE. POTATO VARIETIES RELEASED BY THE SOUTHWESTERN GROUP RANKED SECOND AMONG THE FOUR REGIONAL PROJECTS, BEHIND THE NORTHWEST, DEMONSTRATING THE WIDE ADAPTABILITY OF SOUTHWEST VARIETIES DEMONSTRATING THE BROAD REACH AND IMPACT OF THE SOUTHWEST PROJECT BEYOND ITS REGIONAL BOUNDARIES.