Hybrid Corn CH942779 Detasseling and Bagging for Controlled Pollination

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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 introduction of new genetic modifications and traits.

Innovation Solution

The development of the hybrid corn variety CH942779, which incorporates cytoplasmic or nuclear factors for male sterility, genetic modifications for herbicide resistance, disease resistance, and insect resistance, along with tissue culture methods for regenerating plants with specific physiological and morphological characteristics, allows for controlled cross-pollination and introduction of desirable traits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If self-pollination is allowed in corn breeding, then genetic stability is maintained, but introduction of new genetic modifications and traits is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintroduction of new genetic modificationsVSAvoidgenetic stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the tassel (male flower) from the ear of the female parent plant, physically extracting the self-pollination capability. This allows the female plant to receive pollen only from the male parent, enabling controlled cross-pollination while maintaining genetic stability through deliberate parental selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a physical barrier (bag) as an intermediary to control pollination. The bag covers the ear to prevent unwanted pollen access, and its removal at the appropriate time allows controlled cross-pollination from the male parent, mediating between genetic stability and introduction of new traits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If cross-pollination is used to develop hybrid varieties, then desirable traits are combined, but genetic uniformity becomes more difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombination of desirable traitsVSAvoidgenetic uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

By removing the tassel from the female parent, the patent ensures that cross-pollination occurs only with the designated male parent. This controlled approach combines desirable traits from two specific parents while maintaining genetic uniformity in the hybrid progeny, as all plants in the hybrid population receive identical parental contributions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary selection of parent plants with desirable traits before cross-pollination. By carefully selecting parents and controlling the cross-pollination process in advance, the resulting hybrid population exhibits both trait combination and genetic uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If manual detasseling is performed to prevent self-pollination, then cross-pollination control is achieved, but labor intensity and production time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecross-pollination controlVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs detasseling at a specific early stage when the tassel is still developing but before pollen production begins. This timing allows the tassel to be removed easily with minimal labor while ensuring complete prevention of self-pollination and maintaining reliable cross-pollination control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the field into distinct male and female parent planting blocks. This spatial segmentation allows for systematic and efficient detasseling operations, reducing overall labor intensity by organizing the work in manageable sections rather than treating the entire field uniformly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Stability of the object's composition

If inbred plants are developed through multiple generations of selfing, then homozygosity is achieved, but time to maturity and breeding cycle length increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovehomozygosityVSAvoidbreeding cycle length
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary selection and evaluation of parent plants before initiating the selfing process to develop inbreds. By pre-selecting parents with desirable traits and high homozygosity potential, the number of generations required to achieve stable inbred lines is reduced, shortening the overall breeding cycle while maintaining homozygosity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10856501B1Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH942779
Publication Date: 2020.12.08 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH942779. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH942779, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH942779 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 CH942779.