Maize Inbred PH4DR4 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, PH4DR4, 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
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional maize breeding processes are used to develop new varieties with desirable traits, then the varieties achieve stability and high yielding characteristics, but the development process takes six to twelve years which is time-consuming
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 crossing. The inbred lines are prepared in advance with known genetic characteristics, allowing the breeding program to start from a foundation of pre-validated parental material rather than beginning from scratch each time a new variety is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs copying by creating and maintaining a library of characterized inbred lines that can be repeatedly used as parental material. These inbred lines serve as reusable genetic building blocks that can be crossed with different partners to produce multiple hybrid varieties, effectively copying successful genetic combinations across different breeding programs and reducing the need to rediscover the same beneficial traits.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple desirable traits are combined in a single maize variety through breeding, then the variety achieves improved agronomic characteristics and yield, but the breeding process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex task of combining multiple traits into separate manageable components. Each inbred line is developed to possess specific trait combinations (e.g., one line for disease resistance, another for drought tolerance, another for yield). This segmentation allows breeders to work with specialized parental lines rather than attempting to accumulate all traits in a single line through sequential breeding, thereby reducing process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by creating inbred lines that serve multiple functions as parental material. A single inbred line with desirable traits can be used in multiple different hybrid combinations with various other inbred lines, making it a universal building block. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of breeding operations needed to achieve diverse trait combinations across multiple varieties.
Data Source
AI summary
A novel maize variety designated PH4DR4 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH4DR4 with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH4DR4 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 PH4DR4 or a locus conversion of PH4DR4 with another maize variety.