Maize Inbred PH4DR7 Hybrid Seed Production

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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, PH4DR7, 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 properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

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

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

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs preliminary action by using male sterile lines and hybrid seed production systems that pre-establish genetic configurations for stability and high yield. The male sterile trait allows for controlled cross-pollination and hybrid seed production, eliminating the need for lengthy traditional inbreeding processes while maintaining variety stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces male sterility as an intermediary mechanism to facilitate hybrid seed production. This intermediary trait enables controlled crossing between specific parental lines, accelerating the breeding process while ensuring genetic stability and high yield performance in the resulting varieties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional breeding methods are used, then desirable traits can be combined, but the process is slow and takes multiple years

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombination of desirable traitsVSAvoidbreeding speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses preliminary action by pre-developing inbred lines with specific desirable traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance, yield components) that can be rapidly combined through controlled hybridization using male sterile systems, significantly accelerating trait combination compared to traditional methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Male sterility serves as an intermediary that enables efficient combination of desirable traits from different parental lines. The trait facilitates controlled cross-pollination and hybrid seed production, allowing rapid assembly of multiple desirable traits in a single generation rather than requiring multiple years of traditional breeding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If male sterility traits are introduced, then hybrid seed production is facilitated, but genetic manipulation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehybrid seed productionVSAvoidgenetic manipulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the taking out principle by extracting the male fertility function through sterility traits (cytoplasmic male sterility CMS, nuclear male sterility NMS, or genetic male sterility GMS). This extraction eliminates the need for manual emasculation and simplifies hybrid seed production, allowing natural cross-pollination to occur without self-fertilization while reducing labor and operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11617327B1Maize inbred PH4DR7
Publication Date: 2023.04.04 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

A novel maize variety designated PH4DR7 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH4DR7 with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH4DR7 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 PH4DR7 or a locus conversion of PH4DR7 with another maize variety.