Hybrid Corn CH174815 Male Sterility Breeding

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current corn breeding techniques face challenges in developing hybrid varieties that combine desirable traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and uniformity, while maintaining genetic stability and avoiding self-pollination, which limits the efficiency of hybrid seed production.

Innovation Solution

The development of the hybrid corn variety CH174815, which incorporates cytoplasmic or nuclear factors for male sterility and includes genetic loci conferring traits like herbicide resistance, insect resistance, and disease resistance, along with a method for controlled cross-pollination using emasculation and self-incompatibility systems to prevent self-pollination and ensure hybrid seed production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional self-pollination breeding methods are used, then genetic stability is maintained, but hybrid seed production efficiency is limited due to inability to prevent self-pollination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehybrid seed production efficiencyVSAvoidgenetic stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the male fertility function from the plant by introducing cytoplasmic male sterility factors (such as cms-D, cms-E, or cms-F cytoplasm) or nuclear male sterility genes. This extraction of the self-pollination capability forces cross-pollination, thereby improving hybrid seed production efficiency while maintaining genetic stability through controlled mating.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediary genetic elements (male sterility restorer genes Rf1, Rf2, or Rf3) that act as mediators. These restorer genes can selectively restore male fertility when present, allowing controlled self-pollination in specific breeding scenarios while maintaining sterility in the hybrid production system, thus balancing efficiency and genetic stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If male sterility factors are introduced to prevent self-pollination, then hybrid seed production efficiency improves, but device complexity increases due to additional genetic loci

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehybrid seed production efficiencyVSAvoidgenetic system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs universal male sterility systems that can be applied across different corn varieties. The cytoplasmic male sterility factors (cms-D, cms-E, cms-F) and associated restorer genes serve multiple functions: preventing self-pollination in hybrids, enabling efficient hybrid seed production, and providing a standardized breeding platform that reduces overall genetic system complexity through reuse across varieties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes in gene expression and cytoplasmic-nuclear interactions to achieve male sterility. By changing the presence/absence of restorer genes or altering cytoplasmic factors, the system dynamically controls fertility status without requiring complex structural modifications, thereby improving efficiency while minimizing added complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single hybrid variety, then agronomic quality and resistance improve, but breeding difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisease and pest resistanceVSAvoidbreeding process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the breeding process into distinct components: developing inbred lines with specific resistance traits (herbicide resistance, insect resistance, disease resistance), introducing male sterility factors into selected lines, and systematically crossing these lines. This segmentation allows independent development and optimization of each trait before combination, reducing overall breeding complexity while achieving multi-trait hybrids.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing inbred lines with desired resistance traits and pre-introducing male sterility factors before the hybridization step. This preliminary preparation of parental lines with specific characteristics simplifies the subsequent crossing process and ensures that multiple desirable traits are already consolidated in the parental generations, reducing breeding difficulty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10143153B2Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH174815
Publication Date: 2018.12.04 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH174815. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH174815, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH174815 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH174815.