RNAi-Based Pesticides: A New Tool to Improve Sustainable Agriculture, between Real Opportunities of Suitable Applications and Facing Legal Vacuum and Citizen Bias
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 485
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant pathology of fast-growing trees; plant protection products; applied mycology; applied entomology; integrated pest management; phytoremediation; agroforestry
Interests: plant pathology of fast-growing trees; plant protection products; applied mycology; applied entomology; plant protection; phytoremediation; field diagnostics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
It is with great pleasure that we have accepted the assignment to edit a Special Issue of Sustainability on the hot topic of RNAi-based products. This Special Issue will focus on the most recent advancements in research on this new class of bioproducts that appear promising in terms of a true revolution in sustainable agriculture and arboriculture; it will also focus on updated and debating reviews on this topic, given its fast evolution and the delay of its implementation in international law and regulations, and possible difficult acceptance by public opinion.
RNAi-based products, in particular RNAi-based biopesticides, could offer a suitable tool of plant protection in the context of international organization strategies, such as the European Commission Green Deal or the United Nations Environmental Program policies, wherein the use of chemical pesticides is increasingly subjected to restrictions, and a strong reduction of risks associated with hazardous pesticides is promoted, in view of an improved integrated pest management. RNAi-based control offers the fundamental advantage of being very selective, by silencing specific genes of the target pathogen or pest species, with minor effects on non-target organisms; moreover, in the case of exogenous application, the dsRNA active molecule is rapidly degraded by UV radiation, nucleases, and other environmental factors. Another favorable point is that dsRNA is probably scarcely hazardous for vertebrates due to the many physiological barriers to such molecules. Several aspects of uncertainty, however, persist with reference to processing, efficiency improvement, risk assessment, and possible placing on the market of dsRNA biopesticides, because the present regulating framework does not fit with such products and is not suitable for their technical evaluation, as against conventional PPPs.
In this perspective, with the scope of exploiting the introduction of RNAi-based pesticides in integrated pest management, the purpose of this Special Issue is that of highlighting strength points and vulnerabilities of such technology and of its impact in sustainable agriculture, both in scientific and regulatory aspects.
Dr. Massimo Gennaro
Dr. Achille Giorcelli
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- RNAi-based pesticides
- gene silencing
- RNA interference
- integrated pest management (IPM)
- plant protection products (PPPs)
- pesticide legal regulation
- risk assessment
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
