Maize Inbred PH4CFZ Breeding for Disease Resistance and Yield

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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 stable and agronomically sound manner.

Innovation Solution

A novel maize variety, PH4CFZ, is developed through careful breeding and selection, incorporating traits like male sterility, disease resistance, and drought tolerance via 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 and drought tolerance are improved, but the development time increases to six to twelve years

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisease resistanceVSAvoiddevelopment time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-selecting and characterizing inbred line PH4CFZ with specific desirable traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, high yield potential) before hybrid development. This preliminary characterization allows breeders to start hybrid crossing with a pre-validated parent line, reducing the overall development timeline while maintaining trait reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single variety, then agronomic performance is improved, but the breeding process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveagronomic performanceVSAvoidbreeding process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex breeding process into distinct stages: inbred line development (producing PH4CFZ), hybrid crossing (combining PH4CFZ with other inbreds), and trait introgression (adding specific traits through backcrossing). This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, managing overall complexity while achieving multiple desirable traits in the final hybrid

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Stability of the object's composition

If stable high-yielding hybrids are developed through traditional methods, then yield stability is improved, but the time required from first cross to seed delivery increases to six to twelve years

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveyield stabilityVSAvoidtime from first cross to seed delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by completing the inbred line development and stability validation before initiating hybrid development. Inbred line PH4CFZ is pre-established with confirmed yield stability and desirable traits, allowing hybrid programs to start with a validated parent rather than developing stability from scratch, thereby reducing the time from first hybrid cross to seed delivery while maintaining yield stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11412684B1Maize inbred PH4CFZ
Publication Date: 2022.08.16 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH4CFZ and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH4CFZ with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH4CFZ 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 PH4CFZ or a locus conversion of PH4CFZ with another maize variety.