Soybean XB31AG09 Breeding Segmentation and Merging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current soybean breeding processes are time-consuming and resource-intensive, aiming to develop stable, high-yielding varieties with desirable traits like disease resistance, drought tolerance, and improved fatty acid profiles, but few varieties achieve commercial success due to the complexity of combining these traits effectively.

Innovation Solution

The development of the soybean variety XB31AG09, which combines glyphosate resistance, multi-race Phytophthora resistance, and moderate sudden death syndrome tolerance, along with other desirable traits, through careful breeding and selection, enabling improved yield potential and stress tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional soybean breeding processes are used to combine multiple desirable traits, then the variety achieves comprehensive traits including disease resistance and yield, but the breeding process becomes extremely time-consuming and resource-intensive taking 6-12 years

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomprehensive trait combinationVSAvoidbreeding cycle duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the breeding process by first developing a foundational line with core resistance traits (Phytophthora, sudden death syndrome, cyst nematode) and then using this pre-developed line as a parent in subsequent crosses. This segmentation allows other desirable traits to be introduced more efficiently without repeating the entire multi-year resistance development process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by developing XB31AG09 with multiple disease resistances and agronomic traits before it is used as a parent. This pre-equipped genetic foundation enables faster development of new varieties, as breeders can focus on adding specific traits rather than developing resistance from scratch each time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If breeders select for multiple resistance traits and high yield simultaneously, then the resulting variety has superior performance, but the selection process becomes increasingly complex with over 500,000 potential varieties to evaluate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-trait performanceVSAvoidbreeding program complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple resistance traits (Phytophthora, sudden death syndrome, cyst nematode) and agronomic traits (yield, maturity, plant height) into a single integrated variety XB31AG09. This consolidation creates a unified genetic platform that simplifies subsequent breeding programs, as breeders start with a variety that already possesses multiple key traits rather than having to combine them separately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

XB31AG09 serves as a universal parent that can be used across multiple breeding programs to introduce its resistance and agronomic traits into different backgrounds. This multi-functional variety reduces the need to develop separate resistance lines for different breeding objectives, thereby simplifying overall breeding program complexity.

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

3Reliability

If breeders pursue stable, high-yielding varieties with multiple resistances, then commercial success increases, but the resource investment and breeding program costs become prohibitively high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommercial viabilityVSAvoidresource investment
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by developing XB31AG09 with multiple disease resistances and agronomic traits before it is used as a parent. This pre-equipped genetic foundation enables faster development of new varieties, as breeders can focus on adding specific traits rather than developing resistance from scratch each time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent recovers and utilizes the valuable resistance traits from XB31AG09 through repeated use as a parent in crossing programs. By recovering these proven traits in multiple new varieties, the initial resource investment in developing XB31AG09 is amortized across many commercial varieties, reducing the per-variety development cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS8071851B2Soybean variety XB31AG09
Publication Date: 2011.12.06 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB31AG09. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB31AG09, to the plants of soybean XB31AG09 to plant parts of soybean variety XB31AG09 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB31AG09 with another soybean plant, using XB31AG09 as either the male or the female parent.