A non-transgenic cereal crop multi-season adaptation natural breeding method based on yin-yang double-track separate domestication and multi-generation cycle back source maintenance of land force

Abstract

The application discloses a non-transgenic cereal crop multi-season adaptive natural breeding method based on yin-yang double-track separate domestication and multi-generation cycle back source maintenance of soil fertility. Existing breeding relies on hybridization or transgenic, and has deep-seated contradictions such as being unable to save seeds, overdrafting soil fertility, and relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In the application, local self-saved seeds are divided into two groups: the seeds in the positive track are sowed in advance and screened under field stress to obtain stress-resistant germplasm, and the seeds in the negative track are screened under artificial simulation of four seasonal rhythms to obtain stable high-yield germplasm. The positive track is used as the male parent, and the negative track is used as the female parent to perform directional pollination and fusion of double advantages. Every 3 to 5 generations of breeding is forced to return to the original seeds to restart domestication, so as to control the demand intensity of crops for soil nutrients from the source of germplasm, and long-acting maintenance of farmland fertility. The method is non-transgenic, the seeds can be self-saved, one-year multi-crop, the amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is greatly reduced, the method is suitable for all regions, the threshold is low, and the method is suitable for both food yield increase and land sustainability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of agricultural breeding technology, specifically relating to a natural breeding method for cereal crops that does not rely on transgenic or gene editing techniques. It achieves enhanced stress resistance, stable growth rhythms, multi-seasonal adaptability, and long-term soil fertility maintenance through a dual-track approach of natural environmental stress domestication and artificial rhythm simulation, combined with directed pollination fusion and multi-generational cyclic homogeneity mechanisms. This method is applicable to various cereal and grain crops propagated from conventional seeds, including rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, soybean, highland barley, oats, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, rye, and barley. Background Technology

[0002] (I) The divergence between ancient domestication wisdom and modern breeding paths The grains we eat today were developed by our ancestors through a long history of agriculture, through natural selection and gradual domestication of wild plants, adapting to the seasons and the rhythms of the seasons. Without laboratories, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides, the only principle they followed was to allow crops to adapt to the environment, rather than forcing the environment to adapt to the crops. Those that were cold-resistant survived, those that withstood winds endured, and those with stable yields were passed down through generations—this simple yet profound wisdom of natural selection formed the foundation of human agricultural civilization.

[0003] Since modern times, pioneering scientists, represented by Academician Yuan Longping, have devoted their lives to solving the problem of food and clothing for humankind and made indelible and enormous contributions. However, in contemporary times, with continuous population growth, limited arable land resources, and frequent extreme weather events, existing mainstream breeding models have revealed several deep-seated contradictions beyond yield and efficiency.

[0004] (II) Core problems existing in mainstream breeding technologies The current global food production and breeding system faces the following seven unavoidable fundamental contradictions: First, commercially produced hybrids cannot be saved for farmers. The offspring of hybrids suffer from severe phenotypic degeneration, forcing farmers to purchase new seeds every year, resulting in a high degree of monopoly and depriving farmers of their sovereignty over seed sources.

[0005] Second, there are long-term uncertainties surrounding genetically modified and gene-edited breeding. The cross-generational effects of artificially altering endogenous genes in plants on soil ecology, biodiversity, and human health cannot yet be fully verified, and public acceptance remains low.

[0006] Third, traditional single-path stress breeding only pursues high yields in a single season. Varieties selected through single-environmental stress often have characteristics such as a surge in water and fertilizer demand, rapid growth, and intense fertilizer consumption. Continuous planting of these varieties severely depletes soil organic matter, leading to soil compaction, acidification, salinization, and even desertification.

[0007] Fourth, crop growth rhythms are singular and fixed. Existing varieties are highly sensitive to temperature and light, have narrow regional adaptability, and most grain-producing areas can only harvest once a year, thus land productivity is locked in by natural conditions.

[0008] Fifth, the germplasm has inherently weak resistance to adverse conditions. Varieties bred under conditions of high fertilizer and water have weak plant constitutions and are prone to outbreaks of diseases and pests. The entire planting cycle is highly dependent on high doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in soil and water pollution and excessive pesticide residues in grains.

[0009] Sixth, breeding goals are out of sync with land carrying capacity. All existing breeding programs focus on improving crop yield indicators without providing self-regulating mechanisms at the germplasm level. Unrestricted targeted breeding amplifies the nutrient-depleting characteristics of crops, creating a vicious cycle of "the more crops are planted, the leaner the crops become; the leaner the crops become, the more fertile the crops become."

[0010] Seventh, facility agriculture is costly. High-end facilities such as precision greenhouses and fully automated environmental control systems cannot be widely adopted in underdeveloped areas and among small-scale farmers, resulting in a serious lack of universal accessibility.

[0011] (III) The social costs of pollution accumulation and the degradation of arable land fertility The inventors believe that the cumulative effect of the aforementioned technological defects has gone beyond the scope of simple agricultural technology and is evolving into a deep-seated social problem concerning intergenerational equity and public health.

[0012] The long-term excessive application of chemical fertilizers has led to soil acidification, compaction, and a continuous decline in organic matter, resulting in substantial degradation of the basic fertility of arable land over several decades. Excessive chemical pesticides not only kill target pests and diseases but also indiscriminately kill beneficial soil microorganisms and pollinating insect populations, causing irreversible damage to the agricultural ecosystem. Pesticide residues accumulate step by step through the soil, water, and food chain, eventually entering the human body. These substances possess extremely high chemical stability in the environment, can remain in the soil for decades, and after entering the human body through the food chain, accumulate in adipose tissue, causing continuous chronic damage to the nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems.

[0013] Agricultural producers are on the front lines of direct pesticide exposure, and the chronic health damage caused by long-term low-dose exposure has been widely documented in epidemiological studies. While the cross-generational cumulative effects of various trace pesticide residues ingested by consumers through their daily diet are difficult to quantify precisely in the short term, the international public health community has listed the long-term impacts of chemical agriculture on non-target organisms and human health as a priority concern. This is not just a problem for one generation, but a fundamental issue concerning whether future generations will have access to clean water and soil.

[0014] The inventor does not intend to criticize the limitations of any particular technological era—each generation can only make what they believe to be the most reasonable choice within the tools and knowledge available to them at the time. But the current generation possesses sufficient scientific tools, historical experience, and environmental monitoring data, enabling them to see further and do better than their predecessors. Since they have seen it, someone will act on it.

[0015] (iv) Comprehensive comparison and fundamental deficiencies of the existing technology system A comprehensive comparison of the four existing mainstream breeding systems—traditional natural selection, commercial hybridization breeding, transgenic and gene-editing breeding, and modern facility-based unidirectional domestication—reveals their common shortcomings as follows: Traditional single-path natural breeding relies on a single screening path, which cannot simultaneously balance stress resistance and yield stability, and lacks a soil fertility constraint mechanism; commercial hybrid breeding relies on male sterile lines and restorer lines, resulting in severe segregation of traits in offspring, making it impossible for farmers to save their own seeds, thus forming a continuous commercial monopoly on seed sources; transgenic and gene-editing breeding artificially modify endogenous gene sequences, and the ecological and food safety risks cannot be eliminated on a cross-generational scale; modern facility unidirectional domestication is carried out under constant temperature, humidity, and high water and fertilizer conditions, and the bred varieties consume a huge amount of fertilizer. Promoting planting will inevitably accelerate the over-exploitation of arable land, and the cost of facilities and agricultural inputs will exclude small-scale producers.

[0016] All four systems mentioned above lack three core design elements: First, they fail to establish a dual-track domestication pathway to resolve the physiological antagonism between stress resistance and yield stability traits; second, they fail to achieve the fusion and balance of these two opposing traits through targeted pollination; and third, they fail to establish a cyclical source constraint mechanism at the germplasm level, making it impossible to control the crop's continuous and intensified extraction of soil nutrients from the source. These three deficiencies constitute the fundamental bottleneck that existing breeding technology systems cannot overcome.

[0017] The inventors thus proposed the core idea of ​​this invention: instead of "fighting" against the laws of nature by modifying genes or increasing external inputs, it follows the wisdom of the ancients in adapting to the seasons and utilizes the inherent genetic potential and natural evolutionary instincts of crops to rebuild the balance between crops and the environment through dual-track domestication and cyclical return to the source.

[0018] Food security is the foundation of national security, and storing grain in the land and in technology are long-term core strategies for national agriculture. Currently, extreme weather events are becoming the norm, arable land fertility is continuously declining, and structural contradictions in seed supply are becoming increasingly prominent. There is an urgent need for a universally beneficial breeding technology that does not rely on genetic modification, allows farmers to save seeds independently, and balances increased yield with sustainable arable land. This invention is based on traditional Chinese agricultural wisdom and combines it with modern crop environmental domestication theory, aiming to build a sustainable, non-monopolistic, and low-cost natural breeding system to serve the stable global food supply. Summary of the Invention

[0019] (I) The divergence between ancient domestication wisdom and modern breeding paths The grains we eat today were developed by our ancestors through a long history of agriculture, through natural selection and gradual domestication of wild plants, adapting to the seasons and the rhythms of the seasons. Without laboratories, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides, the only principle they followed was to allow crops to adapt to the environment, rather than forcing the environment to adapt to the crops. Those that were cold-resistant survived, those that withstood winds endured, and those with stable yields were passed down through generations—this simple yet profound wisdom of natural selection formed the foundation of human agricultural civilization.

[0020] Since modern times, pioneering scientists, represented by Academician Yuan Longping, have devoted their lives to solving the problem of food and clothing for humankind and made indelible and enormous contributions. However, in contemporary times, with continuous population growth, limited arable land resources, and frequent extreme weather events, existing mainstream breeding models have revealed several deep-seated contradictions beyond yield and efficiency.

[0021] (II) Core problems existing in mainstream breeding technologies The current global food production and breeding system faces the following seven unavoidable fundamental contradictions: First, commercially produced hybrids cannot be saved for farmers. The offspring of hybrids suffer from severe phenotypic degeneration, forcing farmers to purchase new seeds every year, resulting in a high degree of monopoly and depriving farmers of their sovereignty over seed sources.

[0022] Second, there are long-term uncertainties surrounding genetically modified and gene-edited breeding. The cross-generational effects of artificially altering endogenous genes in plants on soil ecology, biodiversity, and human health cannot yet be fully verified, and public acceptance remains low.

[0023] Third, traditional single-path stress breeding only pursues high yields in a single season. Varieties selected through single-environmental stress often have characteristics such as a surge in water and fertilizer demand, rapid growth, and intense fertilizer consumption. Continuous planting of these varieties severely depletes soil organic matter, leading to soil compaction, acidification, salinization, and even desertification.

[0024] Fourth, crop growth rhythms are singular and fixed. Existing varieties are highly sensitive to temperature and light, have narrow regional adaptability, and most grain-producing areas can only harvest once a year, thus land productivity is locked in by natural conditions.

[0025] Fifth, the germplasm has inherently weak resistance to adverse conditions. Varieties bred under conditions of high fertilizer and water have weak plant constitutions and are prone to outbreaks of diseases and pests. The entire planting cycle is highly dependent on high doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in soil and water pollution and excessive pesticide residues in grains.

[0026] Sixth, breeding goals are out of sync with land carrying capacity. All existing breeding programs focus on improving crop yield indicators without providing self-regulating mechanisms at the germplasm level. Unrestricted targeted breeding amplifies the nutrient-depleting characteristics of crops, creating a vicious cycle of "the more crops are planted, the leaner the crops become; the leaner the crops become, the more fertile the crops become."

[0027] Seventh, facility agriculture is costly. High-end facilities such as precision greenhouses and fully automated environmental control systems cannot be widely adopted in underdeveloped areas and among small-scale farmers, resulting in a serious lack of universal accessibility.

[0028] (III) The social costs of pollution accumulation and the degradation of arable land fertility The inventors believe that the cumulative effect of the aforementioned technological defects has gone beyond the scope of simple agricultural technology and is evolving into a deep-seated social problem concerning intergenerational equity and public health.

[0029] The long-term excessive application of chemical fertilizers has led to soil acidification, compaction, and a continuous decline in organic matter, resulting in substantial degradation of the basic fertility of arable land over several decades. Excessive chemical pesticides not only kill target pests and diseases but also indiscriminately kill beneficial soil microorganisms and pollinating insect populations, causing irreversible damage to the agricultural ecosystem. Pesticide residues accumulate step by step through the soil, water, and food chain, eventually entering the human body. These substances possess extremely high chemical stability in the environment, can remain in the soil for decades, and after entering the human body through the food chain, accumulate in adipose tissue, causing continuous chronic damage to the nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems.

[0030] Agricultural producers are on the front lines of direct pesticide exposure, and the chronic health damage caused by long-term low-dose exposure has been widely documented in epidemiological studies. While the cross-generational cumulative effects of various trace pesticide residues ingested by consumers through their daily diet are difficult to quantify precisely in the short term, the international public health community has listed the long-term impacts of chemical agriculture on non-target organisms and human health as a priority concern. This is not just a problem for one generation, but a fundamental issue concerning whether future generations will have access to clean water and soil.

[0031] The inventor does not intend to criticize the limitations of any particular technological era—each generation can only make what they believe to be the most reasonable choice within the tools and knowledge available to them at the time. But the current generation possesses sufficient scientific tools, historical experience, and environmental monitoring data, enabling them to see further and do better than their predecessors. Since they have seen it, someone will act on it.

[0032] (iv) Comprehensive comparison and fundamental deficiencies of the existing technology system A comprehensive comparison of the four existing mainstream breeding systems—traditional natural selection, commercial hybridization breeding, transgenic and gene-editing breeding, and modern facility-based unidirectional domestication—reveals their common shortcomings as follows: Traditional single-path natural breeding relies on a single screening path, which cannot simultaneously balance stress resistance and yield stability, and lacks a soil fertility constraint mechanism; commercial hybrid breeding relies on male sterile lines and restorer lines, resulting in severe segregation of traits in offspring, making it impossible for farmers to save their own seeds, thus forming a continuous commercial monopoly on seed sources; transgenic and gene-editing breeding artificially modify endogenous gene sequences, and the ecological and food safety risks cannot be eliminated on a cross-generational scale; modern facility unidirectional domestication is carried out under constant temperature, humidity, and high water and fertilizer conditions, and the bred varieties consume a huge amount of fertilizer. Promoting planting will inevitably accelerate the over-exploitation of arable land, and the cost of facilities and agricultural inputs will exclude small-scale producers.

[0033] All four systems mentioned above lack three core design elements: First, they fail to establish a dual-track domestication pathway to resolve the physiological antagonism between stress resistance and yield stability traits; second, they fail to achieve the fusion and balance of these two opposing traits through targeted pollination; and third, they fail to establish a cyclical source constraint mechanism at the germplasm level, making it impossible to control the crop's continuous and intensified extraction of soil nutrients from the source. These three deficiencies constitute the fundamental bottleneck that existing breeding technology systems cannot overcome.

[0034] The inventors thus proposed the core idea of ​​this invention: instead of "fighting" against the laws of nature by modifying genes or increasing external inputs, it follows the wisdom of the ancients in adapting to the seasons and utilizes the inherent genetic potential and natural evolutionary instincts of crops to rebuild the balance between crops and the environment through dual-track domestication and cyclical return to the source.

[0035] Food security is the foundation of national security, and storing grain in the land and in technology are long-term core strategies for national agriculture. Currently, extreme weather events are becoming the norm, arable land fertility is continuously declining, and structural contradictions in seed supply are becoming increasingly prominent. There is an urgent need for a universally beneficial breeding technology that does not rely on genetic modification, allows farmers to save seeds independently, and balances increased yield with sustainable arable land. This invention is based on traditional Chinese agricultural wisdom and combines it with modern crop environmental domestication theory, aiming to build a sustainable, non-monopolistic, and low-cost natural breeding system to serve the stable global food supply.

Claims

1. A non-GMO cereal crop multi-season natural breeding method based on dual-track domestication and multi-generational cyclical return to soil fertility maintenance, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Select local non-hybridized, non-GMO native self-saved seeds as the original seeds; (2) The original seeds were divided into two groups, one for acclimatization and the other for acclimatization, and the two groups were cultivated in parallel. (3) The Yanggui domestication group was sown earlier than the conventional sowing period. It was subjected to low temperature, wind and frost, drought and flood stress in the natural environment. Only the single plants that performed well under stress were retained for seed. It was domesticated for 3 to 5 generations to form stress-resistant germplasm. (4) The domestication group was domesticated in a stable artificial environment. Temperature segmentation, light cycle and diurnal temperature difference parameters were set. Individual plants with uniform growth, neat heading and light insensitivity were selected for seed preservation. The domestication was carried out for 3 to 5 generations to form stable germplasm. (5) Direct pollination was carried out using the best single plant of the positive track domestication group as the male parent and the best single plant of the negative track domestication group as the female parent to obtain offspring seeds that combine the advantages of both parents. (6) Repeat steps (2) to (5) with the offspring seeds, iterating for 3 to 5 complete breeding cycles until the traits are stable and finalized; (7) After the improved varieties have been planted for 3 to 5 generations, the original source described in step (1) is forcibly returned to the original source for seed preservation, and the entire process of yin-yang dual-track domestication is restarted. (8) When promoting the field, implement multi-season planting and fallow rotation, and plant nitrogen-fixing and soil-nourishing plants during the fallow period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), the acclimatization group is sown 7 to 15 days in advance. No artificial heat preservation or rain protection facilities are applied during the entire growth period. Only healthy single plants with normal tillering, thick and strong stems that do not fall over, no serious diseases or pests, and complete ear development and fruit setting are retained.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature segment parameters for the acclimatization in step (4) are as follows: -2℃ to 10℃ for cold-resistant crops, 5℃ to 15℃ for warm-loving crops; 12℃ to 25℃ for the stable growth stage; the light cycle is 10 hours of light and 14 hours of darkness per day; and the diurnal temperature difference is controlled between 8℃ and 12℃.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (5), the positive track is used as the male parent and the negative track as the female parent. The pollination method is mainly natural wind pollination or insect pollination, supplemented by artificial assisted regular pollination. The whole process does not involve gene editing or transgenic operations.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The check and balance mechanism of forced reversion to the original species described in step (7) is to actively reset the evolutionary direction of crops and control their nutrient absorption efficiency from the germplasm source, so that they always maintain a state of stable growth, moderate nutrient consumption and no exploitation of soil fertility, so as to resolve the structural contradiction of "high yield inevitably damages the land" of existing high-yield varieties.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-season planting and fallow rotation pattern described in step (8) involves planting 2 to 3 seasons of high-yield crops and fallingowing for 1 to 2 seasons each year, with nitrogen-fixing herbaceous plants planted during the fallow period to naturally repair the soil.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method is applicable to any one or more of the following: rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, soybean, highland barley, oats, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, rye, and barley.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of days before sowing on sunny tracks, the temperature range for shaded tracks, and the number of domestication iterations can all be flexibly adjusted according to the latitude, accumulated temperature, precipitation, and soil conditions of different regions.