In our sugar beet breeding and genetics program the long-term goal is to identify genes involved in sugar beet agronomic trait expression, their genome location, their distribution in cultivated and other germplasm, assess their contribution and importance to phenotype, and use this information to develop enhanced germplasm for industry and the American consumer.

The USDA-ARS East Lansing program has maintained a strong field component of breeding and agronomic evaluation for over 70 years. Research procedures are well established, and most equipment has been upgraded or replaced in the last five years. The laboratory has invested heavily in genetic marker development and gene expression in support of its germplasm enhancement mission.

Integration of traditional breeding methodologies with genetic marker and gene expression analyses presents a challenge. Traditional breeding is the best validation for insights gained through molecular genetic analyses. The approach aims to provide genetic, biochemical, and physiological analyses of traits while maintaining productivity of field evaluations. Most proposed activities are designed to create a physical and biological infrastructure to accomplish breeder-centric integration of traditional and molecular approaches.

The specific objectives are to: 1. Develop enhanced germplasm with good agronomic potential from adapted and un-adapted germplasm sources identified as having one or more economically desirable traits, 2. Determine the genetic basis of agronomic and breeding traits to facilitate marker-assisted selection and map-based cloning, and 3. Examine germination, emergence, stand establishment, and stand persistence to measure and improve emergence potential and to deduce important developmental milestones.

• McGrath, J.M. (2004) Plant breeding and the promise of genomics. Applied Biotechnology, Food Science and Policy 1:199-211.

• De los Reyes, B.G., Myers, S.J., McGrath, J.M. (2003) Differential stress-induction of glyoxylate cycle enzymes as a marker for seedling vigor in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris).  Mol. Gen. Genomics 269: 692-698.

• De los Reyes, B.G., Morsy, M., Gibbons, J., Varma, T.S.N., Antoine, W., McGrath, J.M., R. Halgren, R., and M. Redus, M.  (2003)  A snapshot of the low temperature stress transcriptome of developing rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) via ESTs from subtracted cDNA library.  Theor. Appl. Genet. 107: 1071-1082.

• McGrath, J.M.  (2003) Registration of SR96 and SR97 smooth-root sugarbeet germplasm with high sucrose.  Crop Sci. 43: 2314-2315.

• De los Reyes, B.G., McGrath, J.M.  (2003)  Cultivar-specific seedling vigor and expression of a putative oxalate oxidase germin-like protein in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).  Theor. Appl. Genet. 107: 54-61.

• Saunders, J.W., Halloin, J.M., McGrath, J.M.,  (2003)  Registration of EL52 and EL48 sugarbeet germplasm releases. Crop Sci. 43: 744-745.

• McGrath, J.M., Williams, C., Haberlach, G.T., Wielgus, S.M., Uchytil, T.F., Helgeson, J.P. (2002)  Introgression and stabilization of Erwinia tuber soft rot resistance into potato after somatic hybridization of Solanum tuberosum and S. brevidens.  Am. J. Potato Research 79: 19-24.

• Dong, F., McGrath, J.M., Helgeson, J.P., Jiang, J. (2001)  The genetic identity of alien chromosomes in potato breeding lines revealed by sequential GISH and FISH analyses using chromosome-specific cytogenetic DNA markers.  Genome 44: 729-734.

• McGrath, J.M, de los Reyes, B., Saunders, J.W. (2000)  Beta breeding and genetics at East Lansing, Michigan:  molecular methods, genetic diversity, and trait elucidation.  J. Sugarbeet Research 37: 97-106.

• McGrath, J.M., Derrico, C.A., Morales, M., Copeland, L.O., Christenson, D.R.  (2000)  Germination of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) seed submerged in hydrogen peroxide and water as a means to discriminate cultivar and seedlot vigor.  Seed Science and Technology 28: 607-620.

• McGrath, J.M., Derrico, C.A., Yu, Y. (1999)  Genetic diversity in selected, historical USDA sugarbeet germplasm releases and Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima. Theor. Appl. Genet. 98: 968-976.

• McGrath, J.M., Wielgus, S.M., Helgeson, J.P. (1996)  Segregation and recombination of Solanum brevidens synteny groups in progeny of somatic hybrids with S. tuberosum:  intra-genomic equals or exceeds inter-genomic recombination.  Genetics 142: 1335-1348.

• McGrath, J.M., Hickok, L.G., Pichersky, E. (1994)  Assessment of gene copy number in the homosporous ferns Ceratopteris thalictroides  (L.) Brongn. and C. richardii Brongn. by restriction fragment length polymorphisms.  Plant Systematics and Evolution 189: 203-210.

• McGrath, J.M., Jancso, M.M., Pichersky, E. (1993)  Duplicate sequences with similarity to expressed genes in the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana.  Theor. Appl. Genet.: 86: 880-888.

• Heustis, G.M., McGrath, J.M., Quiros, C.F. (1993)  Development of genetic markers in celery based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms.  Theor. Appl. Genet. 85: 889-896.

• McGrath, J.M., Quiros, C.F. (1992)  Genetic diversity at isozyme and RFLP loci in Brassica campestris as related to crop type and geographical origin.  Theor. Appl. Genet. 83: 783-790.

• McGrath, J.M., Quiros, C.F., Harada, J.J., Landry, B.S. (1990)  Identification of Brassica oleracea monosomic alien chromosome addition lines with molecular markers reveals extensive gene duplication.  Mol. Gen. Genet. 223: 198-204.

• McGrath, J.M., Quiros, C.F. (1990)  Generation of alien chromosome addition lines from synthetic Brassica napus: morphology, cytology, fertility and chromosome transmission.  Genome 33: 374-383.