** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PULSE CROPS (DRY PEA: PISUM SATIVUM L.; LENTIL: LENS CULINARIS MEDIK.; CHICKPEA: CICER ARIETINUM L.) ARE RICH IN DIETARY PROTEIN (20-25%), PREBIOTIC CARBOHYDRATES (12-15%), VITAMINS, AND MINERALS. PULSES ARE INTEGRAL TO THE AMERICAN FOOD SYSTEM, PROVIDING FOOD SECURITY AND CROP SUSTAINABILITY VIA BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION. PULSES ARE NEW TO SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE THEY ARE USED AS WINTER CASH CROPS INSTEAD OF LEAVING FARMLAND FALLOW. PULSES ARE CONSUMED AS WHOLE FOODS (IN SALADS, SOUPS, OR AS A SNACK) AND AS AN INGREDIENT IN THE PLANT-BASED PROTEIN MARKET. AMERICAN PER CAPITA PULSE CONSUMPTION IS LOW DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY AND THE PERCEPTION OF OFF-FLAVORS. IN MOST PULSE BREEDING PROGRAMS, THE GOALS ARE YIELD, DISEASE RESISTANCE, AGRONOMY, AND SEED QUALITY. CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE TRAITS, SUCH AS FLAVOR, ODOR, AND TEXTURE, HAVE BEEN LESS STUDIED BUT MUST BE ADDRESSED TO INCREASE PULSE CONSUMPTION IN THE USA. THIS SEED GRANT AIMS TO CHARACTERIZE THE TYPE AND CONCENTRATION OF FLAVOR COMPOUNDS IN THE DRY PEA ASSOCIATION MAPPING POPULATION AND SELECT THE MOST FAVORABLE ACCESSIONS FOR BREEDING APPROACH. WE WILL SUBMIT A STANDARD RESEARCH GRANT TO IDENTIFY UNDERLYING TRANSLATIONAL GENETIC MECHANISMS FOR DRY PEAS, CHICKPEAS, AND LENTILS. THIS SEED GRANT DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THE PLANT BREEDING FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION: A1141 PRIORITY BY SUPPORTING PUBLIC BREEDING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE CROP PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY, BOTH CONVENTIONAL AND GENOMIC-ENABLED PLANT BREEDING. THE PROPOSED WORK WILL CHARACTERIZE THE FLAVOR COMPOUNDS IN THE DIVERSITY PANEL, I.E., THE PRIORITY OF PRE-BREEDING, GERMPLASM ENHANCEMENT, CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT, AND SELECTION THEORY.