A hand using a hole punch to take samples out of a leaf

 

Robust research at CAGT

Research at the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies (CAGT) is focused on the genetic improvement of crop plants using genetic, genomic, and state-of-the-art biotechnology approaches. Faculty at CAGT have robust research programs focused on the development of improved cultivars of crops including critical Georgia crops such as peanut, soybean, corn, and tomato.

Key traits of interest include pest and disease resistance, market quality traits, and yield, all critical to improving agricultural production. In addition to food crops, improvement of feed and fuel crops such as switchgrass and poplar are ongoing at CAGT. CAGT faculty also have active research programs focused on plant biotechnology, characterizing the phytobiome to improve plant and soil health, the genetics of plant development, and mechanisms of disease resistance.

CAGT research is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, and a suite of industry partners including the National Peanut Board and the U.S. Soybean Board.


News Articles

UGA Extension experts provide information on growing uncommon Southern delights in your own backyard. CAES News
Did you know you can grow: Kiwi
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts provide information on growing uncommon Southern delights in your own backyard.
How can we achieve agricultural resilience in a changing climate? CAES News
How can we achieve agricultural resilience in a changing climate?
After a record-breaking year in 2024 with more than $258.8 million dollars spent on research and development, experts at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences continue to galvanize the college as a global leader in agricultural and environmental research.
This is the automated Drone Dock system developed in CAES Assistant Professor Luan Oliveira’s Precision Horticulture Lab. The dock is designed to be an autonomous service platform for a spray drone. It was the grand winner at the 2025 Farm Robotics Challenge, where it competed against technologies from 37 other universities across the globe. (Photo by Sean Montgomery) CAES News
UGA, partners demo future of agriculture at UGA Grand Farm groundbreaking
The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with the North Dakota-based Grand Farm, broke ground earlier this month on the UGA Grand Farm in Perry, Georgia.