Maize Inbred PH4C62 Breeding via Segmentation

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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 from the first cross to delivering finished seed to farmers, and existing technologies face challenges in creating stable, high-yielding varieties with desirable traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, and improved agronomic characteristics.

Innovation Solution

A novel maize variety, PH4C62, 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 hybrid seeds with enhanced characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional maize breeding methods are used to develop new varieties with desirable traits, then the varieties achieve stability and high yield, but the development process takes six to twelve years

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariety stabilityVSAvoidbreeding development time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing a diverse panel of inbred lines with known genetic characteristics and desirable traits before the actual breeding program begins. This preparatory work includes characterizing each inbred line for disease resistance, drought tolerance, and other agronomic traits, so that when variety development is needed, breeders can quickly select and cross appropriate lines without having to conduct preliminary screening and characterization during the breeding process itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single maize variety, then the variety achieves high yield and agronomic soundness, but the breeding process becomes more complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaize yieldVSAvoidbreeding process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex task of combining multiple desirable traits into separate, manageable components. Each inbred line in the panel is specialized to possess specific trait combinations (e.g., one line has disease resistance, another has drought tolerance, another has high yield potential). Breeders can then select and cross these pre-segmented lines to assemble the desired trait combination in the final variety, rather than attempting to accumulate all traits through sequential crossing and selection in a single breeding program.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the genetic parameters (traits) of the inbred lines in the panel to create diverse combinations. The panel includes lines with different levels of disease resistance, drought tolerance, maturity periods, and yield characteristics. This pre-established variation in genetic parameters allows breeders to quickly assemble varieties with optimal trait combinations by selecting lines that match the target parameter profile for specific breeding objectives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11419297B1Maize inbred PH4C62
Publication Date: 2022.08.23 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH4C62 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH4C62 with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH4C62 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 PH4C62 or a locus conversion of PH4C62 with another maize variety.