Cucumber Line APD147-4004Mo Breeding Segmentation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current cucumber breeding efforts have not fully met the need for new lines with improved traits such as enhanced resistance to diseases, adaptability, and yield, which are beneficial for farmers and consumers.

Innovation Solution

Development of the cucumber line APD147-4004Mo, which is a monoecious pickling cucumber with improved traits including resistance to angular leaf spot, anthracnose, cucumber scab, downy mildew, powdery mildew, and cucumber mosaic virus, achieved through a process of selective breeding and potentially enhanced by genetic transformation, resulting in a uniform and stable F1 hybrid progeny.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional cucumber breeding methods are used to develop new varieties, then genetic diversity is maintained, but the uniformity and predictability of hybrid performance is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegenetic diversityVSAvoiduniformity of hybrid performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program segments the development process into distinct phases: creating homozygous inbred lines through multiple generations of self-pollination, then crossing these standardized lines to produce uniform F1 hybrids. This segmentation allows genetic diversity to be captured in the inbred line development while ensuring uniformity in the final hybrid product.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by developing and stabilizing homozygous inbred lines through extended self-pollination and selection before performing the actual hybrid cross. This preliminary stabilization of parental lines ensures that the resulting F1 hybrids exhibit uniform and predictable performance, resolving the contradiction between genetic diversity and uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If gynoecious cucumber plants are grown to increase female flower production and yield, then fruit setting efficiency is improved, but pollen availability becomes limited requiring additional monoecious plants

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefruit setting efficiencyVSAvoidpollen availability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional approach by using gynoecious plants as the primary seed parent and providing pollen from a separate pollen parent line, rather than relying on monoecious plants to provide both pollen and fruit setting. This inversion maximizes fruit setting efficiency while ensuring adequate pollen availability through dedicated pollen parent plants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary pollen parent line that serves as a dedicated pollen source for the gynoecious seed parent. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by separating the functions of pollen production and fruit setting into different plant types working in coordination, thereby maintaining both high fruit setting efficiency and adequate pollen availability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If parthenocarpic cucumber varieties are grown to produce seedless fruit without pollination, then seedless fruit quality is improved, but isolation from seeded cucumbers is required to prevent pollination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseedless fruit qualityVSAvoidisolation requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the seed formation process from the fruit development process by utilizing parthenocarpic varieties that set fruit without fertilization. This extraction allows the production of high-quality seedless fruit while the isolation requirements are managed through controlled breeding practices rather than continuous field isolation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by establishing the parthenocarpic trait and seedless fruit quality through controlled breeding and selection before commercial production. Once the parthenocarpic variety is stabilized, the isolation requirements become a one-time breeding consideration rather than an ongoing operational complexity, resolving the contradiction between seedless fruit quality and isolation requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If cucumber lines with enhanced disease resistance are developed through selective breeding, then resistance to multiple diseases is improved, but the breeding time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisease resistanceVSAvoidbreeding time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple disease resistance traits into a single cucumber line by selecting and crossing parental lines that each contribute resistance to different diseases. This combining approach achieves broad-spectrum disease resistance (angular leaf spot, anthracnose, cucumber scab, downy mildew, powdery mildew, and cucumber mosaic virus) while streamlining the breeding process through targeted selection rather than developing each resistance trait separately over extended periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8283525B2Cucumber line APD147-4004Mo
Publication Date: 2012.10.09 SEMINIS VEGETABLE SEEDS INC

AI summary

The invention provides seed and plants of the cucumber line designated APD147-4004Mo. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of cucumber line APD147-4004Mo, and to methods for producing a cucumber plant produced by crossing a plant of cucumber line APD147-4004Mo with itself or with another cucumber plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of cucumber line APD147-4004Mo, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.