Hybrid Corn CH546449 Cytoplasmic Male Sterility Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current corn breeding techniques face challenges in developing hybrid varieties that combine desirable traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and uniformity, while maintaining genetic stability and avoiding self-pollination, which limits the introduction of new genetic modifications and traits.

Innovation Solution

The development of the hybrid corn variety CH546449, which incorporates genetic modifications for traits like male sterility, herbicide resistance, and disease resistance, utilizing cytoplasmic and nuclear factors, and genome editing techniques like CRISPR-Cas systems to introduce specific alleles and transgenes, ensuring stable expression of desired characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional breeding methods are used to develop hybrid corn varieties, then genetic diversity and trait combination are improved, but genetic stability and control over self-pollination are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait combinationVSAvoidgenetic stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) as an intermediary mechanism to control pollination. The CMS cytoplasm acts as a mediator that prevents self-pollination by rendering the plant male sterile, while allowing controlled cross-pollination with fertile plants carrying restorer genes. This resolves the contradiction by providing genetic control (stability) while enabling hybrid trait combination (adaptability).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the genetic parameter of male fertility through cytoplasmic manipulation. By introducing CMS cytoplasm with specific nuclear background, the plant transitions from fertile to male sterile state, preventing self-pollination. This parameter change enables controlled cross-pollination while maintaining genetic stability of the hybrid variety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If cross-pollination is used to develop hybrid varieties, then genetic diversity and yield potential are improved, but control over pollination and uniformity are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveyieldVSAvoiduniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The CMS system acts as an intermediary control mechanism that ensures uniform cross-pollination. All plants with CMS cytoplasm are uniformly male sterile, ensuring they all receive pollen only from designated fertile male parents. This intermediary mechanism guarantees uniformity in the hybrid population while enabling high yield through controlled cross-pollination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The CMS plants automatically prevent self-pollination through their cytoplasmic sterility mechanism, eliminating the need for manual emasculation or other intervention-based methods. This self-service mechanism ensures uniform cross-pollination across the entire population, maintaining both yield potential and uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If inbred plants are developed through self-pollination, then genetic uniformity is improved, but genetic diversity and adaptability are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegenetic uniformityVSAvoidgenetic diversity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains continuous useful action by using CMS plants as a permanent source of female gametes for hybrid production. The CMS line continuously produces uniform female plants that can be crossed with various male parents, preserving genetic uniformity of the female parent while enabling genetic diversity through multiple male parents. This continuity allows the same uniform genetic background to be combined with diverse traits from different male lines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS10398113B1Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH546449
Publication Date: 2019.09.03 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH546449. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH546449, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH546449 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 CH546449.