Hybrid Corn CH156941 Uniformity via Cytoplasmic Male Sterility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Corn breeding techniques face challenges in developing uniform hybrid plants with desirable traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and uniform germination, as existing methods often result in unpredictable performance due to genetic non-uniformity and the need for stable inbred parental lines.

Innovation Solution

The development of the hybrid corn variety CH156941, which incorporates cytoplasmic or nuclear factors for male sterility and introduces desired traits like herbicide resistance, insect resistance, and disease resistance through genetic loci or transgenes, ensuring consistent performance and uniformity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If self-pollination and selection over many generations are used to develop homozygous inbred plants, then uniformity and stability of parental lines are improved, but the time required for breeding and the complexity of the breeding program increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of parental linesVSAvoidbreeding time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs preliminary action by using cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) to prevent self-pollination in the F1 generation, thereby eliminating the need for multiple generations of selfing to achieve uniformity. The CMS trait is introduced into the parental lines beforehand, allowing direct production of uniform hybrid seeds without extensive preliminary inbreeding cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses cytoplasmic male sterility as an intermediary mechanism to control pollination. The CMS cytoplasm acts as a mediator that prevents self-pollination in the F1 hybrid, ensuring uniformity without requiring multiple generations of selfing. This intermediary trait facilitates the breeding process by automatically preventing unwanted self-pollination events.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If cross-pollination between different plants is used to produce hybrid plants, then genetic diversity and yield potential are improved, but genetic non-uniformity and unpredictable performance occur

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveyieldVSAvoiduniformity of hybrid plants
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the male fertility function from the F1 hybrid plants by introducing cytoplasmic male sterility. This extraction of the male reproductive capability prevents self-pollination while allowing controlled cross-pollination, thereby maintaining genetic diversity for yield while ensuring uniformity through controlled mating.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the pollination parameter by introducing CMS to alter the fertility status of the F1 plants. This parameter change from fertile to sterile in the cytoplasm prevents self-pollination while allowing controlled cross-pollination, achieving both yield improvement through hybridization and uniformity through controlled mating.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If traditional breeding methods are used to combine desirable traits, then trait incorporation is achieved, but the complexity of the breeding program and difficulty of selecting superior inbreds increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesirable traitsVSAvoidbreeding program complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs self-service by using cytoplasmic male sterility to automatically prevent self-pollination in the F1 generation. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual emasculation and complex breeding programs, allowing desirable traits to be incorporated while simplifying the selection process through automatic sterility control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8076555B2Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH156941
Publication Date: 2011.12.13 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH156941. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH156941, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH156941 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 CH156941.