RNA-interference biopesticides could unlock the full potential of Australia's A$50 billion-a-year cropping industry if the public trusts the technology and governments regulate it appropriately, say the authors of an international review, Advancing Adoption of RNAi-based Biopesticides, published in Nature Plants.

RNAi sprays use a natural cellular process to switch off genes essential to a target pest or pathogen, without genetic modification of the crop. Lead author Stephen Fletcher of Charles Sturt University said carefully designed RNA molecules that silence essential genes in the target while sparing other organisms are the heart of the approach — a precise alternative at a time when growers face pesticide resistance, environmental concerns and tighter rules on synthetic chemicals.

The technology has passed a milestone with the first commercial RNAi products registered against the Colorado potato beetle and the varroa mite, and the debate has moved from whether it works to how it can be adopted on farms. The review points to advances in bioinformatics, RNA design and delivery systems that protect the molecules and improve performance in the field, and notes that production costs have fallen dramatically.

Professor Neena Mitter, who has worked on RNA biopesticides for more than a decade, said public acceptance cannot be assumed even though consumers want sustainable solutions; the path from discovery to adoption must rest on transparent evidence, clear regulatory oversight, industry engagement and trusted communication about safety and environmental benefit.

Regulation is the main remaining barrier: countries use different approval systems, making it hard and expensive to bring products to market. The review, led by Charles Sturt University with the University of Queensland, Curtin University, the University of California Riverside and GreenLight Biosciences, concludes that RNAi biopesticides are poised to become a significant part of sustainable crop protection if science is matched by reliable field performance, commercial readiness, effective regulation and a strong social licence.

Source: AgroPages