Corn Variety CV391950 Breeding for Genetic Uniformity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current corn breeding techniques face challenges in developing uniform corn hybrids with desirable traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and uniformity, as they often result in unpredictable performance due to genetic non-uniformity among hybrid plants.

Innovation Solution

The development of the corn variety CV391950, which is an inbred corn plant with specific physiological and morphological characteristics, including the option for cytoplasmic or nuclear factors that confer male sterility or self-incompatibility, allowing for controlled pollination and the introduction of desired traits like herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, and modified metabolic processes through genetic transformation or backcrossing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If cross-pollination is used to develop corn hybrids, then genetic diversity and desirable traits are introduced, but genetic non-uniformity results in unpredictable performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegenetic diversityVSAvoidperformance predictability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding process is segmented into distinct phases: first developing uniform inbred lines through self-pollination (achieving genetic uniformity), then controlled cross-pollination between specific inbred lines (introducing desired genetic diversity). This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of uniformity within lines and diversity between lines, resolving the contradiction between genetic diversity and performance predictability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inbred lines are developed and stabilized through multiple generations of self-pollination before the cross-pollination step. This preliminary action creates genetically uniform parental lines with predictable characteristics, ensuring that the subsequent hybrid generation will have uniform and predictable performance while still benefiting from the genetic diversity introduced through controlled crossing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If self-pollination is used to develop inbred lines, then genetic uniformity is achieved, but loss of heterosis and reduced vigor occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegenetic uniformityVSAvoidplant vigor
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The benefits of self-pollination (genetic uniformity and stability) are merged with the benefits of cross-pollination (heterosis and vigor) by using inbred lines derived from self-pollination as parental lines for controlled cross-pollination. The resulting hybrid combines the uniformity and stability of inbred lines with the vigor and productivity of heterotic hybrids, resolving the contradiction between genetic uniformity and plant vigor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If extensive breeding programs are implemented to develop superior inbreds, then desirable traits are improved, but time and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait qualityVSAvoidbreeding cycle duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Once superior inbred lines are developed through breeding programs, they can be copied and replicated indefinitely through self-pollination and controlled crossing. This copying mechanism allows the time and resources invested in developing superior traits to be amortized over many generations and large populations, reducing the effective time and resource cost per unit of improved trait quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Ease of operation

If male sterility systems are introduced for controlled pollination, then cross-pollination control is improved, but genetic complexity and breeding difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepollination controlVSAvoidgenetic system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Male sterility systems act as an intermediary mechanism that simplifies controlled pollination by automatically preventing self-pollination. The genetic complexity of male sterility systems is offset by the operational simplicity they provide in hybrid seed production, where they serve as a reliable mediator to ensure cross-pollination occurs only between intended parental lines, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and genetic complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7718859B2Plants and seeds of corn variety CV391950
Publication Date: 2010.05.18 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV391950. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV391950, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV391950 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV391950 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV391950.