Maize Inbred PH42CD Breeding for Disease and Drought Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The development of new maize varieties and hybrids is a time-consuming process, taking six to twelve years, and existing technologies face challenges in combining desirable traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, and high yield in a single variety that is agronomically sound across different conditions and environments.

Innovation Solution

A novel maize variety, PH42CD, 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 methods are used to combine desirable traits, then disease resistance, drought tolerance, and high yield can be incorporated, but the development process takes six to twelve years

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveagronomic soundnessVSAvoiddevelopment time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-selecting and characterizing inbred lines with specific desirable traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, yield potential) before hybridization. The inbred PH42CD undergoes preliminary breeding and selection to establish a genetically stable foundation, allowing faster development of agronomically sound hybrids without the full 6-12 year timeline.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single maize variety, then yield and agronomic performance improve, but the breeding complexity and selection difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveyieldVSAvoidbreeding program complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the breeding program into distinct components: developing specialized inbred lines with specific traits (PH42CD with disease resistance and drought tolerance), then combining them in hybridization. This segmented approach allows systematic management of multiple traits without overwhelming complexity, as each inbred contributes specific desired characteristics to the final hybrid.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inbred PH42CD is designed with multi-functionality, serving as a versatile parent that contributes multiple desirable traits simultaneously (disease resistance, drought tolerance, and yield potential). This universal inbred can be used across different hybrid combinations to consistently deliver improved agronomic performance, reducing the need for multiple specialized breeding programs.

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

3Stability of the object's composition

If traditional inbreeding and selection processes are used, then stable and uniform maize varieties are produced, but the time required from first cross to finished seed delivery extends to six to twelve years

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariety stabilityVSAvoidseed delivery time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating true-breeding inbred lines through repeated selfing, where the genetic composition is copied and stabilized across generations. The inbred PH42CD represents a stabilized genetic copy that consistently transmits its traits to progeny, ensuring variety stability while reducing the time needed for subsequent hybrid development compared to traditional multi-generational breeding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10506775B1Maize inbred PH42CD
Publication Date: 2019.12.17 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH42CD and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH42CD with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH42CD 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 PH42CD or a locus conversion of PH42CD with another maize variety.