RNA Interference in Pest Control: Prospects and Challenges

Dr. Jayant Pawar ¹, Indra Saini ², Dr. Abhay Ghatage,³, Ms. Priyadarshani A. Patil ⁴, Vijay Itnal⁵, Nitin Kumar⁶

¹Associate Professor, Krishna Institute of Science and Technology,Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth “Deemed to be University”,Taluka-Karad, Dist-Satara, Pin-415 539, Maharashtra, India Email : jayantpawar26@gmail.com
²,Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Arya College of Pharmacy,Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Email : indra.saini@aryajaipur.com
³Assistant Professor, Krishna Institute of Science and Technology, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth “Deemed to be University”, Taluka-Karad, Dist-Satara, Pin-415 539, Maharashtra, India Email : abhayghatage8@gmail.com
⁴Assistant Professor, Krishna Institute of Science and Technology, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth “Deemed to be University”, Taluka-Karad, Dist-Satara, Pin-415 539, Maharashtra, India Email : pp1655159@gmail.com
⁵Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune, Maharashtra, 411037 Email :vijay.itnal@vit.edu
⁶Assistant Professor,School of Pharmacy,Noida International University,Uttar Pradesh 203201,India. Email :nitin.kumar@niu.edu.in

ABSTRACT

RNA interference (RNAi) has become an interesting biological tool for getting rid of pests. It is a safer, more eco-friendly way to kill specific types of pests. RNAi targets insect pests and uses sequence-specific gene silence mechanisms to mess up their vital bodily processes. This causes them to die or have fewer offspring. This method reduces the number of side effects and worries about chemical resistance and environmental harm. To improve effectiveness and longevity, different transport methods have been studied, such as plant-mediated, external, and microbial-based RNAi. RNAi-based pest control has a lot of promise, but it also has a lot of problems. Different bug species have different RNA uptake, stability, and systemic spread rates, which means that their RNAi reactions are not all the same. RNAi isn't always effective because of nucleases in bug guts, cells that don't take in RNA well, and RNA decay. Also, formulations need to be optimised for better stability and cost-effectiveness in large-scale field uses. Because of the chance of unexpected biological effects like non-target species effects and horizontal gene transfer, biosafety tests must be done very carefully before they are widely used. Additionally, the rules and regulations for RNAi-based pest control are still changing, which makes it harder to use and sell. New developments in genetic engineering, genome-wide screening for RNAi targets, and nanoparticle-based delivery methods have made RNAi-based treatments more stable and effective. Long-term effectiveness may be improved by combining them with precision farming methods and common pest control methods that work well together. RNAi has a lot of promise for sustainable pest control, but it has some problems that need to be fixed through diverse study and regulatory harmonisation. This study looks at the pros and cons of using RNAi to get rid of pests, with a focus on new developments and directions for future research..

Keywords: RNA interference, pest control, gene silencing, RNAi delivery, ecological risk assessment, sustainable agriculture

How to cite this article:Pawar J, Saini I, Ghatage A, Patil PA, Itnal V, Kumar N., RNA Interference in Pest Control: Prospects and Challenges .Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(1s): 1260-1272; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16. 1260-1272