Brunnera Silver Lining Cultivar Breeding for Compact Growth

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for new Brunnera macrophylla cultivars with small-sized, silver-coated, medium green-colored foliage and a compact growth habit, which existing cultivars have not adequately addressed.

Innovation Solution

The development of the 'Silver Lining' cultivar through controlled breeding, combining the blue flowers and compact growth habit of PAS-A5516 with the silver-coated foliage and light blue flowers of 'Jack Frost', resulting in medium blue flowers, silver-coated medium green foliage, and a moderately vigorous, upright clumping growth habit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If controlled breeding is used to combine specific traits from parent plants, then the new cultivar achieves desired foliage color and flower color characteristics, but the breeding process requires multiple generations and time for trait stabilization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoliage color and flower color characteristicsVSAvoidbreeding process time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-selecting parent plants with specific desirable traits (silver-coated foliage from 'Jack Frost' and compact growth habit from PAS-A5516) before crossing. This preliminary selection of parents with complementary characteristics accelerates the breeding process and reduces the time needed for trait stabilization in subsequent generations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If asexual reproduction by division is used to propagate the cultivar, then the cultivar reproduces true to type with fixed characteristics, but the propagation process requires multiple divisions and generations to establish

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacteristics fixationVSAvoidpropagation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs division propagation, which creates multiple independent clones from a single parent plant. This method produces numerous true-to-type plants simultaneously, establishing the cultivar quickly without requiring long-term maintenance of a single parent stock, thus reducing the time for propagation while maintaining genetic stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the new cultivar is distinguished from similar cultivars like 'Alkanet' by specific characteristics, then the new cultivar achieves unique market identity, but the differentiation requires precise observation and comparison of multiple traits

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemarket differentiationVSAvoidtrait differentiation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by identifying and emphasizing specific localized characteristics that differentiate the new cultivar from similar ones. The silver coating on the foliage and the darker blue flower color are distinct local traits that provide clear market differentiation. These specific localized features make the cultivar easily identifiable and distinguishable from competitors like 'Alkanet'.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUSPP19851P2Brunnera Plant Named `Silver Lining`

Publication Date: 2009.03.24 BALL HORTICULTURAL CO

AI summary

A new and distinct cultivar of Brunnera plant named ‘Silver Lining’, characterized by its medium blue-colored flowers, silver-coated medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, upright, clumping growth habit.