DEVELOPMENT OF RNAI AND OTHER BIOLOGICALLY-BASED PEST CONTROL STRATEGIES

• Sponsoring Institution: Agricultural Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: USDA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0429794
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2015
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2019
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
CORVALLIS,OR 97331

Performing Department
CROP & SOIL SCIENCES

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

50%

Applied

50%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
211	1122	1130	20%
211	1131	1130	20%
211	2110	1130	20%
211	2122	1130	20%
211	2120	1130	20%

Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
2110 - Ornamental trees and shrubs; 1131 - Wine grapes; 1122 - Strawberry; 2120 - Herbaceous perennials and decorative greens; 2122 - Potted plants;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;

Keywords

ipm

invasive

pests

pest

control

rnai

Goals / Objectives
1) Identify RNAi target genes from crop pests (spotted wing drosophila, slugs, and stink bugs, etc.). 2) Design and synthesis dsRNA of target genes and green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a control gene. 3) Evaluation of RNAi impacts by injection and/or feeding into target pests.

Project Methods
Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a destructive invasive pests, and has larval development in a broad range of small fruit crops including almost all of the berry cultivars, cherries, grapes as well as other ripening fruits. Slugs are common in nursery systems which are severely damaged by several slug species. Lastly, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is also a serious invasive pests that heavily damages over 140 agricultural and ornamental crops including nursery plants. Currently, the only way to effectively control these pest relies on the use of insecticides, which should be replaced with environmentally friendly alternative approaches. RNA interference (RNAi) for insect control as a biologically-based insecticide represents a potentially new direction of the insect pest management. To develop an RNAi-based insecticide the screening of RNAi target genes from the pest is a critical initial step. We selected RNAi targets from specific pest, and evaluate negative impact(s) on these pests. Project goals include identifying RNAi target genes and evaluating impacts with molecular and behavioral approaches, and to develop non-toxic control options for existing and invasive crop pests. Amendment #1 will add funds to continue the current research objectives and will be used to monitor and evaluate RNAi impact on SWD larvae and adults.