Styrax japonicus JFS 6SJ Weeping Cultivar Propagation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for an ornamental Japanese snowbell cultivar with a weeping form that can be successfully asexually propagated while maintaining unique characteristics such as dark purple foliage and white flowers, as existing cultivars often lack this specific growth habit and propagation stability.

Innovation Solution

The development of Styrax japonicus 'JFS 6SJ', which exhibits a strongly weeping growth habit and dark purple foliage, achieved through cross-pollination and successful asexual propagation methods like softwood cuttings and field chip budding, ensuring consistent characteristics in progeny trees.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If cross-pollination is used to develop new cultivars, then genetic diversity and unique characteristics are improved, but propagation stability and consistency are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegenetic diversityVSAvoidpropagation stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses asexual propagation methods (softwood cuttings and field chip budding) to create exact genetic copies of the selected seedling, ensuring that the unique characteristics developed through cross-pollination are consistently replicated in progeny trees without genetic variation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the propagation parameter from sexual reproduction (seed) to asexual reproduction (cuttings and budding), which maintains the genetic parameters of the parent tree while achieving the desired weeping form and dark purple foliage consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If asexual propagation is used to maintain consistent characteristics, then propagation stability is improved, but genetic diversity is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepropagation stabilityVSAvoidgenetic diversity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary selection of a seedling with desired characteristics (weeping form and dark purple foliage) before propagation, ensuring that the asexual propagation starts with an optimally selected genotype that meets the cultivar requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple propagation methods are tested, then propagation reliability is improved, but time and resources are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepropagation reliabilityVSAvoidevaluation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the propagation process into two distinct methods (softwood cuttings and field chip budding) that are evaluated separately and independently, allowing for systematic comparison and selection of the most effective propagation technique

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUSPP34817P2Japanese snowbell tree named ‘JFS 6SJ’

Publication Date: 2022.12.13 J FRANK SCHMIDT & SON

AI summary

A variety of Styrax japonicus which combines a combination of a mounding weeping habit, profuse single white flowers, dark purple foliage that remains glossy & disease free through the summer.