Scientists at The James Hutton Institute are making significant progress toward developing a spray that could “silence” genes responsible for Fusarium head blight, a disease affecting various cereal crops. This disease, which has been increasing in both frequency and severity in recent years, is caused by the fungus *Fusarium graminearum*, impacting crops like wheat, barley, rye, oats, and maize. It infects the spikes of these plants, reducing both grain yield and quality, and posing a threat to global food security.
Dr. Steve Whisson, Molecular Plant Pathologist at The James Hutton Institute, is collaborating with researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) on spray-induced gene silencing — a promising new technique that could provide an effective solution to combat this devastating disease.
“Spray induced gene silencing control of plant diseases can be extremely specific, only targeting the disease-causing fungus without affecting beneficial environmental microbes,” Whisson said.
“It can also be readily adapted for other crop diseases.”
The technique involves spraying the crop with a preparation containing double-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) that is designed to silence specific genes that the pathogen uses to attack the crop, according to a press release.
“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,” explained Dr Ramesh Vetukuri, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Plan Breeding, SLU, who led the work.
The research team investigated how spray-induced gene silencing impacts the microbial communities on the surface of cereal crops, which are vital to preserve. Through a comprehensive screening of microbial genomes on crop surfaces, the study found that the treatment caused only minor changes in the diversity and structure of bacterial communities, while fungal communities remained largely unaffected. This suggests that the double-stranded RNA reached its targets without disturbing critical microbial ecosystems, meaning its use to combat Fusarium head blight will not disrupt the balance of these communities.
This study fills an important gap in spray-induced gene silencing research and highlights its potential to transform crop protection with minimal ecological impact. It offers a promising environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fungicides and genetically modified crops. This breakthrough is a significant step forward for sustainable agriculture, deepening our understanding of the broader ecological effects of innovative plant protection strategies.
The method is now ready for field trials, paving the way for more sustainable agricultural practices.
