Gene-silencing Spray to Fight Fusarium Head Blight in Cereal Crops

Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and James Hutton Institute have investigated how spray-induced gene silencing affects other microorganisms for the first time. This method is a step forward for a more sustainable farming system through an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fungicides.

Fusarium head blight, caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum, is a major threat to cereal crops, reducing yield and quality and posing a growing risk to global food security. Spray-induced gene silencing is a technique that could help manage the disease by targeting and silencing the genes the pathogen uses to infect the crop.

“We use a type of double-stranded RNA that regulates or blocks the pathogen's production of certain proteins that it needs to infect the plant,” said Ramesh Vetukuri, study leader and a Senior Lecturer at SLU. Their study showed that the double-stranded RNA successfully targeted the pathogen without affecting essential microbial communities. The findings of their study illustrate the potential of this method to fight Fusarium head blight without disrupting the balance in the ecosystem.

For more information, read the article from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.