Echinacea One in a Melon Hybrid Breeding for Unique Floral Traits

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea that exhibits unique characteristics such as fragrant inflorescences, large and broad inflorescences with horizontal ray florets, melon-colored ray florets matching cones, strong branching, vigorous growth, and dark-green ovate foliage, which are not found in existing Coneflower cultivars.

Innovation Solution

The development of the Echinacea hybrid 'One in a Melon' through the cross-pollination of proprietary hybrids 15-17-3 and 15-32-1, which has been asexually propagated and reproduced via crown division and shoot tip tissue culture, maintaining identical characteristics in successive generations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If existing Coneflower cultivars are used, then they have established growth patterns, but they lack unique characteristics such as fragrant inflorescences, large broad inflorescences with horizontal ray florets, and melon-colored ray florets

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunique characteristicsVSAvoidestablished growth patterns

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple desirable traits from different parent plants (15-17-3 and 15-32-1) into a single hybrid cultivar. The female parent contributed fragrance and branching characteristics, while the male parent contributed flower color and size traits, resulting in a unified plant with all desired unique characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Area of moving object

If ray florets are made larger and broader, then inflorescence size increases, but structural stability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinflorescence sizeVSAvoidstructural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by having ray florets that are large and broad at the distal end for visual impact, while maintaining a robust connection to the receptacle and cone structure for stability. The florets exhibit different characteristics at different locations - broader and more showy at the periphery, while maintaining structural integrity at the base

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If vigorous growth is achieved, then plant size and flower production increase, but disease and pest susceptibility may increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflower productionVSAvoiddisease and pest susceptibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potential harm of vigorous growth (increased disease susceptibility) into a benefit by selecting for disease and pest resistance as a specific trait during the breeding process. The hybrid cultivar maintains vigorous growth characteristics while incorporating resistance traits from the parent plants, effectively converting the vulnerability into a selected advantage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUSPP35153P2<i>Echinacea </i>plant named ‘One in a Melon’

Publication Date: 2023.05.02 WALTERS GARDEN INC

AI summary

The new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named ‘One in a Melon’ with very large fragrant inflorescences on strong, stiff stems producing single whorls of large, melon-colored, strongly-overlapping, ray florets. The large inflorescence produces ray florets that tend to stay nearly horizontal through maturity. The new plant flowers from mid-summer to late summer, and is suitable as a potted plant, for the landscape, and for cut flower arrangements.