Efficacy of Select Gene Targets for the Management of Western Flower Thrips Through RNA Interference

Western flower thrips (WFT) Frankliniella occidentalis cause extensive damage to crops either by direct feeding injury or by transmitting diseases. Current management strategies against this pest rely heavily on synthetic insecticides, leading to issues such as resistance development and environmental concerns. Several safer alternatives including RNA interference (RNAi), also referred to as post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), are being extensively researched to develop species-specific molecular pesticides for the management of this pest. However, the success of RNAi depends on the selection of lethal targets and the delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to the target pest. In this study, we demonstrate the uptake of dsRNA by WFT through artificial diet feeding and its distribution within the insect. Several candidate gene targets were evaluated, leading to the identification of promising RNAi targets for thrips management. In addition, dsRNA production was successfully standardized using a recombinant bacterial expression system for large-scale applications. We also observed degradation of naked dsRNA following feeding, likely due to nuclease activity associated with thrips feeding processes, highlighting a key limitation for RNAi efficacy. Overall, our findings support the potential of RNAi as a targeted pest management strategy for WFT. The results emphasize the importance of strategic gene selection, improved delivery systems, and scalable dsRNA production for the development of effective RNAi-based molecular biopesticides.