Maize Inbred PH4DJD 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, PH4DJD, 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 agronomic characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional maize breeding methods are used to combine desirable traits, then the resulting varieties have stable and agronomically sound characteristics, but the development process takes six to twelve years which is too time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of maize varietyVSAvoidbreeding development 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 PH4DJD undergoes extensive preliminary evaluation for agronomic performance, and its combining ability is assessed through test crosses with multiple inbreds to identify superior hybrid combinations, thereby streamlining the breeding process while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms through systematic evaluation of hybrid performance across multiple environments and generations. The inbred PH4DJD and its hybrids are assessed for yield stability, disease resistance, and other agronomic traits, with this feedback information used to refine selection criteria and guide further breeding decisions, ensuring both speed and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single maize variety, then the variety achieves high yield and environmental stress tolerance, but the complexity of the breeding program increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait combination capabilityVSAvoidbreeding program complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex breeding program into distinct modules: development of specific inbreds with targeted traits (PH4DJD with disease resistance and drought tolerance), separate evaluation of combining ability through test crosses, and systematic selection of hybrid combinations. This modular approach allows independent optimization of each trait component while managing overall program complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inbred PH4DJD is developed with multi-functionality, serving as a versatile parent that contributes multiple desirable traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, yield potential) to various hybrid combinations. This universal inbred can be crossed with multiple different inbreds to produce hybrids with different specific trait combinations, reducing the need for separate breeding programs for each trait combination

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

Data Source

PatentUS11406077B1Maize inbred PH4DJD
Publication Date: 2022.08.09 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH4DJD and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH4DJD with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH4DJD 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 PH4DJD or a locus conversion of PH4DJD with another maize variety.