Corn Variety LH362 Breeding for Genetic Uniformity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Corn breeding techniques face challenges in developing uniform corn hybrids with desirable traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and drought tolerance, as existing methods often result in unpredictable performance due to genetic non-uniformity among cross-pollinated plants.

Innovation Solution

The development of the corn variety LH362, which includes a cytoplasmic or nuclear factor for male sterility and additional heritable traits like herbicide tolerance and disease resistance, achieved through backcrossing and genetic transformation techniques, ensuring a homogeneous population of inbred seeds and plants with specific desirable characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If cross-pollination is used to develop corn hybrids, then genetic diversity and trait combination are improved, but genetic uniformity and performance predictability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegenetic diversityVSAvoidgenetic uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding process is segmented into distinct phases: first developing homozygous inbred lines through self-pollination to achieve genetic uniformity, then crossing these standardized inbreds to introduce controlled genetic diversity. This segmentation allows each phase to optimize for its specific goal without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inbred lines are developed and standardized through multiple generations of self-pollination before the actual hybrid crossing. This preliminary action creates genetically uniform parental lines, ensuring that the subsequent cross-pollination produces predictable and uniform hybrid offspring with consistent performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If self-pollination is used to develop inbred lines, then genetic uniformity is improved, but genetic diversity and adaptability deteriorate

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

Solution Approach 1:

Self-pollination is used as a preliminary action to develop homozygous inbred lines with fixed genetic compositions. This creates genetically uniform parental material that can then be crossed to generate the desired genetic diversity in hybrids, while maintaining control over the trait combinations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Inbred lines serve as intermediary genetic carriers that preserve and standardize specific trait combinations. These intermediaries allow breeders to combine predetermined sets of genes from different inbreds, achieving controlled genetic diversity in the final hybrid while maintaining uniformity within each parental contribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Stability of the object's composition

If multiple breeding generations are pursued to achieve homozygosity, then genetic uniformity is improved, but breeding time and productivity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegenetic uniformityVSAvoidbreeding time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Self-pollination enables the plant to service its own breeding needs by transferring its own pollen to its own silks, maintaining genetic uniformity without requiring external intervention for each generation. This self-service mechanism accelerates the inbreeding process compared to manually controlled crosses while ensuring homozygosity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Adaptability or versatility

If conventional breeding methods are used, then development of new varieties is achieved, but performance predictability and uniformity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariety developmentVSAvoidperformance predictability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different parts of the breeding program apply different pollination strategies: self-pollination is applied locally to develop uniform inbred lines, while controlled cross-pollination is applied locally to create specific hybrid combinations. This localized application of breeding methods ensures both uniformity within lines and predictability of hybrid performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The breeding program changes the key parameter of pollination control from uncontrolled natural cross-pollination to highly controlled artificial crossing of standardized inbreds. This parameter change ensures that only predetermined genetic combinations are produced, dramatically improving performance predictability while still achieving variety development.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS7576265B1Plants and seeds of corn variety LH362
Publication Date: 2009.08.18 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated LH362. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety LH362, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety LH362 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety LH362 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety LH362.