RNAi-Based Biocontrol of Pests to Improve the Productivity and Welfare of Livestock Production

Abstract

Insects and ectoparasites are causes for major concern throughout the world due to their economic and welfare impacts on livestock agriculture. Current control measures involve chemicals such as acaricides which pose challenges like chemical resistance and longer withholding periods. To enable more sustainable agriculture practices, it is important to develop technologies that combine targeted effectiveness with minimal environmental footprint. RNA interference (RNAi) is a eukaryotic process in which transcript expression is reduced in a sequence-specific manner. This makes it a perfect tool for developing efficient and effective biological control against pests and pathogens. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is the key trigger molecule for inducing RNAi; this concept is widely studied for development of RNA-based biopesticides as an alternative to chemical controls in crop protection for targeting pests and pathogens with accuracy and specificity. In this review, we discuss key advances made using RNAi technology and how they can be applied to improve health in livestock industries. This includes research focused on different delivery mechanisms of dsRNA, important developments in regulatory frameworks, and risk identification, that will enable the future adoption of RNAi technologies to improve animal health.