Abstract

The growing global food demand, coupled with the limitations of traditional pest control methods, has driven the search for innovative and sustainable solutions in agricultural pest management. In this review, we highlight polymeric nanocarriers for their potential to deliver double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and control pests through the gene-silencing mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi). Polymer-dsRNA systems have shown promise in protecting dsRNA, facilitating cellular uptake, and ensuring precise release. Despite these advances, challenges such as scalability, cost-efficiency, regulatory approval, and public acceptance persist, necessitating further research to overcome these obstacles and fully unlock the potential of RNAi in sustainable agriculture.

Application of RNAi-based technology for crop pest control is hampered by the lacking of efficient system for the delivery of dsRNA molecules to pests or plants. Here, the authors review polymer systems for dsRNA delivery and provide perspectives on their application in sustainable agriculture production.

Details

Title
The role of polymers in enabling RNAi-based technology for sustainable pest management
Author
Quilez-Molina, Ana Isabel 1 ; Niño Sanchez, Jonatan 2 ; Merino, Danila 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  University of Valladolid, BioEcoUVA Research Institute on Bioeconomy, Valladolid, Spain (GRID:grid.5239.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2286 5329); University of Valladolid, Study, Preservation, and Recovery of Archaeological, Historical and Environmental Heritage (AHMAT), Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography, and Mineralogy Department, Faculty of Science, Valladolid, Spain (GRID:grid.5239.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2286 5329) 
2  University of Valladolid, Department of Plant Production and Forest Resources, Palencia, Spain (GRID:grid.5239.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2286 5329); University of Valladolid, iuFOR, Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, Palencia, Spain (GRID:grid.5239.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2286 5329) 
3  University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Sustainable Biocomposite Materials, POLYMAT, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain (GRID:grid.509500.9); Basque Foundation for Science, Ikerbasque, Bilbao, Spain (GRID:grid.424810.b) (ISNI:0000 0004 0467 2314) 
Pages
9158
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53468-y
ProQuest document ID
3119819299
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.