** 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 PROJECT FUELING WINTER CANOLA CULTIVAR AVAILABILITY TO MEET NEW DEMAND FOR OIL WILL DELIVER SUPERIOR WINTER CANOLA CULTIVARS TO GROWERS IN THE GREAT PLAINS AND OTHER STATES. THESE CULTIVARS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED TO MEET GROWING U.S. DEMAND FOR CANOLA OIL. THIS NEW DEMAND IS A RESULT OF THE EPA'S 2023 APPROVAL OF THE CANOLA OIL PATHWAYS FOR USE IN RENEWABLE DIESEL, JET FUEL, NAPHTHA, LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS, AND HEATING OIL. THE U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS DOMESTIC PRODUCTION CAPACITY FOR RENEWABLE DIESEL TO MORE THAN DOUBLE BY 2025, FROM 2.6 BILLION GALLONS PER YEAR TO 5.9 BILLION GALLONS PER YEAR.CLEAN FUELS ALLIANCE AMERICA ESTIMATES THAT CANOLA OIL IMPORTS FROM CANADA FOR RENEWABLE DIESEL PRODUCTION WILL EQUAL 5.8 BILLION POUNDS PER YEAR, OR ROUGHLY 700 MILLION GALLONS. THEREFORE, A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY EXISTS TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL DOMESTIC CANOLA OIL FEEDSTOCKS FOR RENEWABLE DIESEL PRODUCTION OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. IN THE EARLY 2000S, WINTER CANOLA ACRES RAPIDLY INCREASED IN THE GREAT PLAINS BECAUSE OF IMPROVED CULTIVARS, OBSERVED ROTATIONAL BENEFITS TO WHEAT, GROWING REGIONAL CRUSH CAPACITY, AND INCREASED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES BY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES. DESPITE RECENT SETBACKS IN THE REGION, A NEW END MARKETING OPPORTUNITY IS TAKING SHAPE. A FORMER CANOLA AND SUNFLOWER FACILITY WAS PURCHASED AND IS BEING RECOMMISSIONED TO CRUSH CANOLA AND SOYBEAN NEAR GOODLAND, KS. THE PLANT WILL BEGIN PROCESSING GRAIN IN FALL OF 2024, WITH A CAPACITY OF 11 MILLION BUSHELS PER YEAR. TO MEET CAPACITY, THE PLANT COULD CRUSH 500,000 ACRES OF CANOLA SOURCED THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THEREFORE, WINTER CANOLA ACRES AND PRODUCTION MUST INCREASE TO SATISFY CURRENT AND FUTURE GREAT PLAINS AND U.S. CANOLA SEED, OIL, AND MEAL DEMAND. THE GREAT PLAINS OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACREAGE GROWTH AS WINTER CANOLA HAS BEEN VITALLY IMPORTANT TO IMPROVING SMALL GRAIN CROPPING SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILITY. HENCE, THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE GROWING NEED FOR NEW WINTER CANOLA CULTIVARS TO FULFILL INCREASING DEMAND. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY 1) TESTING, ADVANCING, RELEASING, AND LICENSING NEW CONVENTIONAL AND ROUNDUP READY OPEN-POLLINATED CULTIVARS IN COLLABORATION WITH INTERESTED PARTIES, 2) GENERATING ADDITIONAL DATA THROUGH INCREASED TESTING TO SUPPORT CULTIVAR RELEASE, 3) TESTING NEW FEMALE, MALE-STERILE HYBRID PARENT LINES FOR GENERAL ADAPTABILITY AND INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE, AND 4) DELIVERING CULTIVAR AND HYBRID PERFORMANCE RESULTS, CHARACTERISTICS, AND BENEFITS TO STAKEHOLDERS AND CLIENTELE.