Mitch McGrath

Mitch McGrath is an Adjunct USDA Professor at Michigan State University's Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences within the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. He holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California, Davis (1989) and a B.S. in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1979). His research focuses on enhancing sugar beet germplasm and discovering genes critical for sustainable crop production.

Key research areas include genomic frameworks, molecular mapping, and developing disease-resistant sugar beet varieties. He has contributed to projects such as assembling the beet genome sequence of 'C869' and creating Recombinant Inbred (RI) populations with high-density molecular maps. His work addresses challenges like Cercospora leaf spot resistance, Rhizoctonia damping-off, and Fusarium oxysporum control.

Publications highlight advancements in genetic diversity assessment, SNP genotyping, and automated disease rating systems. McGrath collaborates internationally on projects like evaluating sea beet genetic diversity and improving sucrose content measurement via spectroscopy.