Hybrid Maize Breeding for Trait Diversity and Stable Uniformity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hybrid maize development methods struggle to combine desirable traits such as disease resistance, heat and drought tolerance, and improved yield while maintaining uniformity and stability in plant characteristics, which are crucial for commercial crop production.

Innovation Solution

A novel maize hybrid variety X04T051 is developed by crossing inbred varieties and introducing genetic loci for traits like male sterility, disease resistance, and herbicide tolerance through backcrossing and transformation, with cytoplasmically-inherited traits ensuring trait inheritance and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional plant breeding methods are used to combine multiple desirable traits, then trait diversity increases, but uniformity and stability of plant characteristics deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait diversityVSAvoiduniformity of plant characteristics
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the breeding process into distinct stages: developing inbred lines with specific traits, then crossing them to produce hybrids. This segmentation allows each parent line to be optimized for specific traits while the hybrid combines them uniformly, resolving the contradiction between trait diversity and uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating inbred lines that are homozygous (uniform) at specific gene loci responsible for desirable traits, while maintaining heterozygosity at other loci in the hybrid. This allows different parts of the genome to have different degrees of uniformity, achieving both trait diversity and overall uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If multiple traits are combined in a single hybrid, then agronomic quality improves, but breeding complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveagronomic qualityVSAvoidbreeding complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the complex task of combining multiple traits into manageable segments by first developing separate inbred lines, each optimized for specific trait combinations. This segmentation reduces breeding complexity compared to attempting to combine all traits simultaneously in a single breeding program.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs preliminary action by pre-developing and stabilizing inbred lines with specific desirable traits before crossing them. This preliminary development of parent lines with confirmed trait expressions simplifies the subsequent hybridization process and reduces overall breeding complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12484522B1Maize hybrid X04T051
Publication Date: 2025.12.02 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated X04T051 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X04T051 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X04T051 through backcrossing or genetic transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are described. Maize variety X04T051, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X04T051 are provided. Methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X04T051 and methods of using maize variety X04T051 are disclosed.