Maize Inbred PH4DF0 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 stable, high-yielding seeds, and existing methods struggle to combine desirable traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, and improved agronomic characteristics efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A novel maize variety, PH4DF0, is developed through careful breeding and genetic manipulation, incorporating traits like cytoplasmic male sterility, disease resistance, and improved agronomic characteristics, using backcross conversion and genetic transformation to introduce desired loci, allowing for the production of hybrid seeds with enhanced traits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional breeding methods are used to develop new maize varieties, then stable and high-yielding varieties can be obtained, but the process takes six to twelve years which is time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of maize varietyVSAvoidbreeding cycle duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by using pre-developed inbred lines with known genetic markers and desirable traits as starting material. The inbred lines are prepared and characterized before the actual breeding program begins, allowing the variety development to start from a advanced stage rather than from scratch, thus reducing the overall breeding cycle time while maintaining stability through the use of genetically stabilized inbred parents.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single variety, then agronomic performance improves, but the complexity of breeding program increases

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

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the breeding program into distinct phases: (1) development and characterization of inbred lines with specific traits, (2) evaluation of inbred lines in multi-environment trials, (3) selection of parents for hybrid development, and (4) hybrid performance evaluation. Each phase focuses on specific traits and objectives, making the overall complex breeding program manageable through systematic segmentation while achieving comprehensive agronomic performance through the accumulation of multiple traits across different breeding stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11399491B1Maize inbred PH4DF0
Publication Date: 2022.08.02 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH4DF0 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH4DF0 with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH4DF0 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 PH4DF0 or a locus conversion of PH4DF0 with another maize variety.