University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Areas of Exploration

Agricultural and environmental research is foundational in the land-grant university mission – education for everyone, research for scientifically based decisions and extension outreach to help ensure scientifically based agriculture in practiced in America.

Agricultural and environmental research has three parts:

  • basic, which provides the discoveries for solution to the unknown problems of tomorrow;
  • applied, which uses the solutions of past basic research to address the problems of today; and 
  • directed, which delivers immediate actions to improve our agricultural systems.

We need all three for a healthy agriculture industry and to sustain the environment. At the University of Georgia, we excel at all three, and deliver a $144.4 million boost to Georgia’s economy.


Advances in Plant Sciences
Advances in Plant Sciences
Developing advanced plant varieties and protecting existing ones with the goal of global food security and sustainability.
Advances in Animal Sciences
Advances in Animal Sciences
Researching humane innovations in the livestock, poultry, and entomology to create a sustainable food supply.
Society’s Role in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Society’s Role in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Exploring the economic and educational impacts of the public on agriculture for a more informed future.
Advances in Food Science & Safety
Advances in Food Science & Safety
Creating food products and reducing pathogens in the name of a safe, abundant food supply for the growing global population.
Environmental Resource Management
Environmental Resource Management
Stewarding natural resources through research of responsible practices for a sustainable future.
CAES research at UGA delivers a $144.4 million boost to Georgia's economy.
Discover Our Impact

Research News

groundnuts CAES News
UGA supports African research network breeding climate-adapted peanuts
More than 4,000 miles separate the capital cities of Senegal in West Africa and Uganda in East Africa. Yet both countries grow peanuts and, like other countries across Africa, farmers there rely on peanuts as a food and cash crop. Five years ago, the researchers who help those farmers – plant breeders from Uganda, Senegal and seven other African countries – formed an organization called the Groundnut Improvement Network for Africa, or GINA, to develop peanut varieties that help African farmers deal with plant diseases and climate change.  
(L-R) Peggy Ozias-Akins and third-year Ph.D. student Yuji Ke working with Pennisetum (pearl millet) hybrids plants in the greenhouse. CAES News
The Plant Center: A nexus for plant research at UGA
The University of Georgia Plant Center is a collection of faculty and scientists from across multiple campuses who share common interests in plant science. From basic science in plant biology and genomics to highly applied projects in genetics and plant breeding, researchers run the gamut of plant-based research. More than 60 faculty are affiliated with the center, hailing from seven departments across four colleges and schools and three separate campuses in Athens, Tifton and Griffin.
Aspergillus fumigatus is shown in the bulb of a tulip. (Illustration by Whitney Mathisen and Andrea Piazza) CAES News
Multidrug-resistant fungi found in commercial soil, compost, flower bulbs
That pile of soil you bought at the home improvement store may contain more than just dirt, according to new research from the University of Georgia. A new UGA study found high levels of multidrug-resistant fungi in commercially available compost, soil and flower bulbs. Aspergillus fumigatus is a widespread fungus that thrives in soil. But it also poses a serious risk to human health if inhaled. People with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the opportunistic fungus.
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