RNA interference strategy for crop protection against insect pests.

Abstract RNA interference (RNAi) has significantly accelerated functional genomic research on insects. Since its discovery, numerous reports have reported efforts to apply RNAi approaches to insect species lacking characterized genomes. The technique also has substantial potential for use in the control of insect pests that cause severe loss of crop yield and quality. Several approaches have been exploited to control these pests, including the application of different agrochemicals and the development of resistant crops by breeding and transgenic approaches. However, there are certain limitations with these strategies, and therefore novel alternative strategies are required for the development of stress-tolerant plants. RNAi strategies have proven to be such a novel and potential alternative for disease and pest control. This technique essentially involves the production of hairpin double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in transgenic plants that targets pest genes that are essential for their growth and development. This chapter provides an insight into the practical aspects of this gene silencing methodology for the development of tools for pest management.