Hybrid Corn CH547702 Cytoplasmic Male Sterility Breeding

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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 efficiency of hybrid seed production.

Innovation Solution

The development of the hybrid corn variety CH547702, which incorporates genetic modifications and cytoplasmic male sterility traits to prevent self-pollination, along with specific genetic loci conferring herbicide resistance, insect resistance, and other desirable characteristics, using advanced breeding methods and genetic transformation techniques like genome editing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If corn plants are self-pollinated to maintain genetic stability, then true breeding progeny are produced, but hybrid seed production efficiency is reduced due to limited cross-pollination opportunities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegenetic stabilityVSAvoidhybrid seed production efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the male sterility function from the plant's natural pollination system by introducing cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) traits. This removes the plant's ability to self-pollinate, forcing cross-pollination with maintainer lines to produce hybrid seed, thereby increasing hybrid seed production efficiency while maintaining genetic stability through controlled breeding programs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces maintainer lines as intermediary elements that carry the CMS trait but remain fertile. These intermediary lines enable controlled cross-pollination between female parents (with CMS) and maintainer lines, facilitating efficient hybrid seed production while preserving genetic stability through the intermediary's role in mediating the pollination process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple desirable traits are combined in hybrid varieties, then agronomic performance improves, but breeding complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesirable traits combinationVSAvoidbreeding complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the breeding process into distinct phases: developing inbred lines with specific traits, crossing these inbreds to create F1 hybrids, and maintaining separate maintainer lines for CMS traits. This segmentation allows systematic combination of multiple desirable traits (disease resistance, yield, stress tolerance) while managing breeding complexity through structured, modular approaches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite genetic systems by combining CMS cytoplasmic elements with nuclear genes for desirable traits. This composite approach integrates multiple functions (male sterility, disease resistance, yield characteristics) into a unified hybrid variety, achieving versatile agronomic performance while managing complexity through the synergistic interaction of different genetic components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Productivity

If cytoplasmic male sterility is introduced to prevent self-pollination, then hybrid seed production is enabled, but genetic stability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehybrid seed productionVSAvoidgenetic stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms through controlled cross-pollination between CMS female parents and maintainer lines. The maintainer lines provide a stable genetic reference that feeds back into the breeding program, ensuring genetic stability is maintained while enabling continuous hybrid seed production. This feedback loop allows monitoring and adjustment of genetic composition across generations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes in the CMS system, where the cytoplasmic genotype determines male sterility while nuclear genes control fertility restoration. By carefully managing the interaction between cytoplasmic and nuclear parameters, the system enables hybrid seed production while maintaining genetic stability through precise control of which inbred lines are crossed and under what environmental conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10375916B1Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH547702
Publication Date: 2019.08.13 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH547702. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH547702, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH547702 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 CH547702.