Recently, the Economic Crop Pest Monitoring and Control Innovation Team of the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with domestic and international partners, systematically elaborated on the opportunities and challenges faced by the world's first sprayable RNA biopesticide commercialized for controlling potato pests. These findings were published in Science China Life Sciences.
The Application of RNA Interference Technology in Pest Control. Image provided by the interviewee.
Pests pose a serious threat to global food security by damaging crops. To meet the increasing global food demand, there is an urgent need for safe and effective green pest control technologies. On December 22, 2023, the world's first RNA biopesticide was officially approved for commercialization. It is used to control the Colorado potato beetle, a destructive quarantine pest of international importance that is increasingly resistant to traditional pesticides. This marks a groundbreaking milestone as the world's first RNA biopesticide approved for commercial use on crops, revolutionizing green pest control for potato pests.
To fully harness the potential and sustainable use of RNA biopesticides in pest control, the study proposes an integrated pest management and pest resistance management dual-governance strategy for the first commercialized RNA biopesticide. In this strategy, it is essential to understand the genetic basis of Colorado potato beetle resistance to RNA biopesticides, monitor resistance dynamics in the field, design rational pest resistance management strategies, and integrate RNA biopesticides with other pest control technologies into a comprehensive pest management system.
The research also emphasizes the need for further studies to explore the limitations of RNA biopesticides as a new pest control technology. This will enhance their effectiveness in controlling a broad spectrum of agricultural pests, such as Lepidoptera and Hemiptera, thereby expanding the application of RNA biopesticides in pest control.
This study was supported by the Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
For more information, refer to the related paper: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-024-2612-1
