Maize Inbred PH2CTG Breeding via Marker-Assisted Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The development of new maize varieties and hybrids is a time-consuming process that requires precise planning and efficient resource use, aiming to combine desirable traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, and high yield, while maintaining stability across different conditions and environments.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of the novel maize variety PH2CTG, which involves crossing with another maize plant to introduce traits like male sterility, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, and altered metabolic pathways through backcross conversion and genetic transformation, along with specific breeding and cultivation processes to ensure uniformity and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional maize breeding processes are used to combine desirable traits, then trait combination is achieved, but the development time becomes excessively long (6-12 years)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait combinationVSAvoiddevelopment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-selecting and characterizing inbred line PH2CTG with desirable baseline traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, yield potential) before hybridization. This preliminary characterization allows breeders to start with a genetically optimized parent, reducing the time needed for subsequent trait combination and selection phases in traditional breeding programs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If multiple backcrossing generations are performed to introgress traits, then trait stability is improved, but the breeding process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrait stabilityVSAvoidbreeding process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical, time-intensive process of multiple backcrossing generations with molecular marker-assisted selection. By using DNA markers to track desired traits through generations, breeders can achieve trait stabilization more quickly and with greater precision, substituting biochemical analysis for traditional phenotypic selection and reducing overall process complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If extensive field testing across multiple environments is conducted, then variety reliability is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariety reliabilityVSAvoidresource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms through molecular marker analysis and controlled environment testing that provide early indicators of variety performance. By using genetic markers to predict environmental adaptation and conducting targeted tests in representative environments, the system obtains feedback on variety reliability much earlier in the breeding process, reducing the need for extensive multi-year field testing across numerous locations and thereby conserving resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9737033B1Maize inbred PH2CTG
Publication Date: 2017.08.22 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH2CTG and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH2CTG with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH2CTG 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 PH2CTG or a locus conversion of PH2CTG with another maize variety.