Maize Inbred PH41W7 Breeding Acceleration

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Solution Overview

Problem

The development of new maize varieties and hybrids is a time-consuming process, requiring six to twelve years from the initial cross to delivering finished seed to farmers, and existing technologies face challenges in combining desirable traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, and high yield in a stable and agronomically sound manner.

Innovation Solution

A novel maize variety, PH41W7, is developed through careful breeding and selection, incorporating traits like male sterility, disease resistance, and drought tolerance, achieved through backcross conversion, genetic manipulation, and transformation, allowing for the creation of stable, high-yielding hybrids with improved agronomic characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional maize breeding processes are used to combine desirable traits, then stable high-yielding hybrids with disease resistance and drought tolerance are achieved, but the development time is excessively long (six to twelve years)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of hybrid performanceVSAvoidbreeding development time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing a recurrent parent inbred line with a comprehensive foundation of desirable traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, high yield potential) before initiating backcrossing. This pre-prepared genetic base accelerates the breeding process by eliminating the need to accumulate traits through multiple sequential crosses, directly reducing the 6-12 year development timeline while maintaining hybrid stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single variety through extensive breeding, then agronomic performance and yield are maximized, but the breeding process becomes excessively complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveagronomic performance across conditionsVSAvoidbreeding program complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple desirable traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, high yield) into a single recurrent parent inbred line before backcrossing. This consolidation approach simplifies the breeding program by eliminating the need for separate crossing programs for each trait, reducing program complexity while achieving comprehensive agronomic performance in the final hybrid

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The recurrent parent inbred line serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides disease resistance, drought tolerance, high yield potential, and serves as the genetic base for backcrossing. This multi-functional recurrent parent eliminates the need for separate donor parents for each trait, simplifying the breeding program while achieving versatile agronomic performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If backcross conversion and genetic manipulation are used to introgress traits, then the breeding process is accelerated and time is reduced, but the process complexity and technical difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebreeding program efficiencyVSAvoidbreeding process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a systematically developed recurrent parent inbred line as an intermediary that facilitates trait introgression. This pre-prepared genetic base acts as a mediator between desired traits and the final hybrid, enabling efficient backcrossing while managing technical complexity through a standardized, well-characterized genetic platform

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10856492B1Maize inbred PH41W7
Publication Date: 2020.12.08 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH41w7 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH41W7 with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH41W7 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are provided. Hybrid maize seed, plants or plant parts are produced by crossing the variety PH41W7 or a locus conversion of PH41W7 with another maize variety.