Rice phd mutant allele for seedling emergence and yield
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rice breeding faces challenges in developing cultivars with improved seedling emergence, weed competition, herbicide tolerance, and grain quality, as existing methods struggle to combine these traits effectively, particularly in flooded conditions and with the limitations of semidwarf cultivars.
Innovation Solution
A new rice mutant allele designated 'phd' is introduced, which is a single recessive gene that enhances seedling emergence, plant height, and grain size, and can be used to produce cultivars with improved traits such as herbicide resistance and increased yield, by crossing plants with the phd allele and selecting for desired characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If semidwarf rice cultivars are used, then grain yield is improved, but seedling emergence through deep water is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the semidwarf gene (sd1) with the phd mutant allele in the same cultivar. This merging allows the plant to simultaneously exhibit the yield benefits of semidwarf characteristics and the improved emergence capability provided by the phd mutation, resolving the contradiction between grain yield and seedling emergence reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The phd mutant allele modifies specific growth parameters of the rice plant, particularly affecting early seedling development and emergence rate. This parameter change enables semidwarf cultivars to emerge more effectively through deep water while maintaining their shortened plant height and high yield potential.
2Reliability
If shallow flood is applied, then seedling establishment is improved, but weed growth is promoted
Solution Approach 1:
The phd allele provides preliminary action by enhancing seedling vigor and emergence rate before the critical weed competition phase. Faster-emerging seedlings establish themselves more quickly, creating a competitive advantage against weeds that eliminates the need for shallow flooding to promote establishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of deep water (which normally suppresses emergence) into a benefit by using the phd mutant allele that enables successful emergence even through 20-30 cm of water. This allows growers to maintain deep water for weed suppression while still achieving good seedling establishment.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If deep water is used for weed control, then herbicide applications are reduced, but seedling emergence is suppressed
Solution Approach 1:
The phd mutant allele converts the harmful effect of deep water on emergence into a beneficial situation where deep water can be used for weed control without sacrificing seedling emergence. The mutated allele enables seedlings to penetrate through deep water layers that would normally prevent emergence.
Solution Approach 2:
The phd allele changes the emergence parameter of rice seedlings, enabling them to successfully emerge through deep water conditions (20-30 cm) that were previously prohibitive. This parameter change allows the use of deep water for weed control while maintaining reliable seedling establishment.
4Reliability
If tall rice varieties are used, then seedling emergence through deep water is improved, but grain yield is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the emergence advantage of tall varieties with the yield advantage of semidwarf varieties by introducing the phd mutant allele into semidwarf cultivars. The resulting plants maintain the shortened stature and high yield potential of semidwarfs while gaining the improved emergence capability traditionally associated with tall varieties.
Data Source
AI summary
A rice mutant allele designated phd is disclosed. The invention relates to rice seeds containing mutant allele phd, to rice plants containing allele phd and to methods for producing a rice plant containing the mutant allele phd produced by crossing a rice plant containing allele phd with itself or another rice variety. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and hybrid rice plants containing mutant allele phd.