Trait-Stacked Corn Plants for Yield and Lodging Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need in the art for improved corn yield through intrinsic yield gains and reduced yield losses from improved lodging resistance and stress tolerances.
Innovation Solution
Modified corn plants are developed with recombinant expression cassettes encoding CONSTANS (CO) or CONSTANS-like (COL) polypeptides, MADS-box polypeptides, and reduced expression of GA20 or GA3 oxidase genes to enhance ear traits and yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional corn varieties are used, then basic yield requirements are met, but intrinsic yield gains and lodging resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple genetic traits (semi-dwarfing genes, ear development genes, and lodging resistance genes) into a single corn variety through trait stacking. This merging of previously separate traits allows simultaneous improvement of yield and lodging resistance, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite genetic system by integrating multiple functional genes and regulatory elements into a unified corn genome. This composite approach enables the plant to exhibit combined phenotypic effects of improved yield, reduced plant height, enhanced ear traits, and increased lodging resistance that cannot be achieved by single traits alone.
2Reliability
If plant height is reduced to improve lodging resistance, then ear traits may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentially regulating gene expression in specific plant regions. Semi-dwarfing genes reduce overall plant height for lodging resistance, while ear development genes (PpCOL and ZMM19) are specifically expressed in the ear region to maintain or enhance ear traits. This spatial differentiation of genetic effects allows simultaneous achievement of reduced plant height and improved ear yield.
3Productivity
If multiple traits are stacked to improve yield and resistance, then genetic complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the genetic material into distinct functional modules: semi-dwarfing genes (e.g., Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b), ear development genes (PpCOL, ZMM19), and lodging resistance genes. Each module can be independently characterized, regulated, and bred, reducing the complexity of managing multiple traits. The segmented approach allows systematic development and validation of each trait before integration.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides modified, transgenic, or genome edited/mutated corn plants that are semi-dwarf and have one or more improved ear traits and yield relative to a control plant, such as increased ear area, increased ear volume, increased single kernel weight, increased ear fresh weight, increased ear diameter, increased ear length, increased yield, increased kernels per ear, decreased ear tip void, and decreased ear void. The modified, transgenic, or genome edited/mutated corn plants comprise a transgene encoding one or more CONSTANS (CO) or CONSTANS-like (COL) polypeptides and a transgene encoding one or more MADS-box polypeptides, and can also have a reduced expression of one or more GA20 or GA3 oxidase genes. Also provided are methods for producing the modified, transgenic, or genome edited/mutated corn plants.