Project Grant 20247003141912

FUNGAL PATHOGENS CAUSE CROP YIELD AND QUALITY REDUCTION LEADING TO BILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST ANNUALLY IN THE US. FUNGICIDE RESISTANCE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY DRIVE AN URGENT NEED FOR NOVEL FUNGAL CONTROL STRATEGIES. SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME (SDS) IN SOYBEANS IS CAUSED BY THE SOIL BORNE FUNGUS FUSARIUM VIRGULIFORME WHICH INFECTS YOUNG SOY SEEDLINGS THROUGH THE ROOTS. INFECTION MOST OFTEN OCCURS ON COOL WET SOILS AND DISEASE SYMPTOMS IN THE ADULT PLANT ARE CAUSED BY TOXIN MOVEMENT FROM ROOTS TO SHOOTS SEEN FIRST AS YELLOWING OF LEAVES AND LATER AS BROWNING AND LEAF LOSS. IN SEVERE CASES THIS LEAF DAMAGE CAUSES 50% CROP LOSS. FIRST OBSERVED IN 1971 IN ARKANSAS, F. VIRGULIFORME IS NOW DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT MOST SOY GROWING REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. RNA INTERFERENCE (RNAI) CAN HELP PLANTS USE THEIR OWN NATURAL DEFENSE SYSTEMS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM SOIL BORNE FUNGI AS THEY EMERGE FROM THE SOIL AND GROW AS YOUNG SEEDLINGS. THE DSRNA LEADING TO THIS RESPONSE IS INHERENTLY NON-TOXIC AND HIGHLY SELECTIVE, THUS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND ABLE TO PRESERVE BENEFICIAL MICROBES AS OPPOSED TO CHEMICAL FUNGICIDES. GREENLIGHT BIOSCIENCES HAS SHOWN DSRNA CAN BE DELIVERED TO GERMINATING SOYBEAN SEEDS AND RESULT IN PROTECTION FROM THIS PREVALENT SOIL FUNGUS FUSARIUM VIRGULIFORME DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ADVANCE OUR METHODS TO DEVELOP A MORE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE PROOF-OF-CONCEPT SEED TREATMENT. THIS WILL PROVIDE FARMERS WITH A NOVEL, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MODE OF ACTION FOR SDS PROTECTION. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO 1.) DEFINE A MATRIX OF SOY-COMPATIBLE SEED TREATMENT MIXES THAT CAN 2.) CARRY DSRNA WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DEGRADATION ON THE SEED PRIOR TO GERMINATION AND 3.) RELEASE DSRNA INTO THE SEED DURING GERMINATION AND THUS 4.) RESULT IN NATURAL DEFENSE PATHWAY REGULATION TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST F. VIRGULIFORME. THIS COMMERCIAL SOY SEED TREATMENT PLATFORM OF DSRNA DELIVERY COULD BE BROADLY APPLICABLE TO PROVIDE DEFENSE AGAINST ADDITIONAL FUNGI. IT MAY BE FURTHER EXTENDED TO CREATE OTHER TYPES OF BENEFICIAL CROP TRAITS PROVIDING SUITES OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND CROP PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OPTIONS FOR THE FARMER.