Corn Inbred Line Breeding for Uniform Hybrid Trait Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing corn breeding methods struggle to develop uniform hybrids with desirable traits such as increased yield, disease resistance, and drought tolerance, often resulting in unpredictable performance due to genetic non-uniformity in cross-pollinated plants.

Innovation Solution

The development of the corn variety CV976070, which is homozygous and includes genetic modifications for traits like herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, and cytoplasmic male sterility, along with a process for controlled cross-pollination to ensure uniformity and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If corn plants are cross-pollinated to introduce genetic diversity and desirable traits, then adaptability and trait variety improve, but genetic uniformity and predictability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait varietyVSAvoidgenetic uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program segments the corn population into distinct inbred lines through repeated self-pollination, creating genetically uniform segments that can then be combined in controlled crosses to achieve desired traits while maintaining predictability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inbred lines are developed through preliminary self-pollination and selection before being used in hybrid crosses, ensuring that the parental lines are genetically stable and uniform, which then enables predictable offspring performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If inbred lines are developed through repeated self-pollination to achieve genetic uniformity, then homozygosity and stability improve, 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:

Inbred lines are pre-developed through multiple generations of self-pollination and selection before being used in hybrid production, establishing genetic uniformity in advance to enable efficient hybrid breeding cycles

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The breeding program uses repeated self-pollination to create copies of the same genotype across multiple generations, achieving homozygosity through replication of identical genetic material

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If male sterility factors are introduced to prevent self-pollination and enable controlled crossing, then hybrid seed production efficiency improves, but plant complexity and breeding system requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehybrid seed production efficiencyVSAvoidbreeding system requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The male-sterile inbred lines automatically prevent self-pollination through cytoplasmic or nuclear factors, eliminating the need for manual emasculation operations and enabling autonomous controlled crossing systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Male-sterility factors act as intermediary elements that mediate the pollination process by blocking self-pollination while allowing controlled cross-pollination, simplifying hybrid seed production through automatic mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12628778B2Plants and seeds of corn variety CV976070
Publication Date: 2026.05.19 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the disclosure, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV976070. The disclosure thus relates to the plants, seeds, and tissue cultures of the variety CV976070, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV976070 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The disclosure further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV976070 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The disclosure further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV976070.