David Bertioli

David Bertioli is a Professor and GRA/GSD Distinguished Investigator at the University of Georgia, affiliated with the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences and the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences. He conducts research at the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies (CAGT) and the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics (IPBGG), focusing on leveraging wild peanut species to enhance cultivated varieties through advanced genetics.

Dr. Bertioli's research integrates peanut genetics, genomics, and evolution to develop disease-resistant and climate-resilient cultivars. Key areas include:

• Introgression of pest/disease resistance traits from wild relatives
• Genomic mapping for heat/drought tolerance
• Molecular breeding for fungal and nematode resistance
• Evolutionary studies of Arachis species

His publications (2022–2025) predominantly address disease resistance mechanisms (leaf spot, stem rot, nematodes), thermotolerance in wild and cultivated peanuts, and genomic tools for crop improvement. Recent work emphasizes wild species utilization, QTL mapping, and pathogen genomics.

Achievements include the scientific award:

• GRA/GSD Distinguished Investigator

Dr. Bertioli co-leads the Wild Peanut Lab at CAGT, collaborating with global breeding programs in the USA, Brazil, Senegal, and Uganda to translate research into improved peanut varieties.