Prof. Piergiorgio Stevanato graduated in Agricultural Sciences in 1999 at the University of Padova (Italy). He then obtained a Ph.D. degree in Plant Ecophysiology. He worked under the supervision of professors Enrico Biancardi and Massimo Saccomani on the molecular and morpho-physiolological characterization of wild species of the genus Beta. He was a visiting researcher at the Michigan State University (USA) in 2003 and 2005-2006. His current position is associate professor at the DAFNAE, University of Padova. The position is concerned with research on biotechnological approaches to improve crop yield and reduce inputs. Currently, he is teaching plant biochemistry and general biology. Prof. Stevanato is a member of the ECPGR Beta Working Group and a coordinator of national activities on the management of Beta collections. He is also a member of the International Institute for Beet Research (IIRB) and of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Professionals in Sugar and Integrated Technologies (IAPSIT). He has presented research papers at national and international conferences. He has co-authored 130 publications including peer reviewed journal papers, and book chapters. He is the managing editor of Sugar Tech for the sugar beet section and a member of the editorial board of the International Sugar Journal and Sugar Crops of China.