Maize Inbred PH47WH Breeding via Segmentation and Preliminary Action

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Solution Overview

Problem

The development of new maize varieties is a time-consuming process that takes six to twelve years, and there is a continuous need for stable, high-yielding maize varieties with improved traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, and better agronomic characteristics.

Innovation Solution

A novel maize variety, PH47WH, is developed through careful breeding and selection, incorporating traits like male sterility, disease resistance, and improved agronomic characteristics, using techniques such as backcross conversion, genetic manipulation, and transformation, allowing for the creation of hybrid maize seeds with enhanced properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional maize breeding methods are used to develop new varieties with improved traits, then the desired traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, yield) are achieved, but the development time is excessively long (6-12 years)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait stabilityVSAvoidbreeding duration
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 PH47WH was developed through preliminary breeding steps including selection of germplasm with target traits, multiple generations of inbreeding to fix alleles, and field testing to confirm trait expression and stability. This preliminary preparation of parent lines with known, stable traits accelerates the overall breeding process by eliminating the need for extensive trait verification in later generations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If extensive breeding steps are performed to ensure variety stability and high yield, then reliable and high-yielding maize varieties are produced, but the development process becomes time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaize yieldVSAvoidbreeding duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating true-breeding inbred lines through repeated self-pollination over multiple generations. The inbred PH47WH was developed by selfing parent plants for several generations to achieve homozygosity, ensuring that the desirable traits (yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance) are fixed and will be consistently copied to all progeny. This genetic uniformity allows the hybrid to reliably express high yield and stress tolerance traits without requiring repeated breeding cycles to stabilize them.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple breeding objectives are combined in a single variety, then comprehensive improvement (disease resistance, drought tolerance, yield, maturity) is achieved, but the breeding process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental adaptabilityVSAvoidbreeding process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the breeding program into distinct phases: (1) selection of germplasm with specific target traits, (2) inbreeding to fix individual traits in separate lines, (3) hybridization to combine traits, and (4) field testing to verify combined performance. The inbred PH47WH was developed through this segmented approach, where desirable traits were identified and fixed in the parent line through systematic inbreeding, then combined with complementary lines through controlled crosses. This segmentation of the breeding process makes managing multiple breeding objectives more tractable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10827705B1Maize inbred PH47WH
Publication Date: 2020.11.10 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH47WH and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH47WH with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH47WH 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 PH47WH or a locus conversion of PH47WH with another maize variety.