Location: Biological Control of Insects Research
Project Number: 5070-22000-038-013-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Nov 1, 2023
End Date: Oct 31, 2026
Objective:
The application of chemical insecticides can lead to unwanted environmental impacts resulting from loss of non-target organisms, such as bees and other pollinators. The new class of yeast RNA pesticides will specifically target SWD without impacting other non-target organisms. Pesticide delivery through attractive targeted sugar baits will reduce overall insecticide use, and several different formulations will be developed, allowing for the rotation of their use and more sustainable agriculture.
This work aims to reduce crop loss, insecticide costs, and broad-spectrum insecticide use, thereby promoting the environmental and economic vitality, safety, and health of the agricultural community and society at large. Engagement forums will allow stakeholders to provide input into product development, and increase access to the new technology by identifying farms to participate in product testing and development.
Approach:
The proposed research will utilize the attractive properties of baker’s yeast, a known-SWD attractant, to lure these economically destructive agricultural pests to feed on yeast that has been designed to express RNA interference (RNAi) pesticides specifically targeting SWD genes, permitting species-specific SWD control. This yeast, which permits cost-effective scaled pesticide production, can be readily shipped and stored and has significant residual activity. The proposed project aims include: 1) Generating baker’s yeast to express RNA insecticides that target SWD, 2) Evaluating the yeast pesticide efficacy when deployed in attractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) lures, and 3) conducting stake holder engagement forums that promote trust and cooperation between NCR fruit farmers and scientists, thereby building a community united to combat SWD. It is anticipated that these studies will identify a new class of stakeholder-accepted, species-specific formulations that can be deployed as ATSBs for SWD control in the NCR and beyond.
