Kalischuk’s team addresses the critical environmental challenge of excessive agrochemical use (over 6 million tonnes annually) by developing Nanopect™, an innovative RNA interference delivery system derived from sour cherries that offers targeted crop protection without harmful chemical residues.
The escalating use of fungicides and pesticides in agriculture, currently exceeding 6 million tonnes annually worldwide, poses a significant environmental challenge that is expected to intensify with climate change. With 50–80% of these agrochemicals ending up in soil, water, and non-target organisms as pollutants, there is an urgent need for safer, more targeted alternatives. This challenge is paralleled by increasing threats from fungal pathogens such as Fusarium head blight (FHB), which significantly impacts cereal crops like wheat and barley, further intensifying the demand for effective and sustainable disease management strategies. While RNA interference (RNAi) technology has emerged as a promising solution through its ability to precisely control pathogens by blocking specific protein expression, its agricultural implementation faces a significant barrier: the lack of effective delivery systems for small interfering RNA (siRNA), which cannot naturally penetrate cellular membranes. Developing a stable, efficient, and scalable delivery system for siRNA would represent an important shift in next-generation crop protection and pest management.
Lead by Dr. Melanie Kalischuk, the research team developed an innovative crop protection strategy using RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi is a natural gene-silencing method that is delivered through a specific nanocarrier derived from sour cherries. Nanocarriers are microscopic transport systems that help deliver substances like drugs or RNA to specific tissues, improving both precision and impact. Nanopect™, the cherry-derived nanocarrier developed in this project, was designed to deliver siRNA that targets a fungal enzyme called chitin synthase 3 (CHS3). This system offers potential for controlling Fusarium head blight in barley and wheat by improving fungicide delivery and increasing protection. Key research objectives included evaluating Nanopect™’s effectiveness compared to conventional fungicides, its formulation stability, uptake efficiency, and its impact on crop health, growth, metabolism, yield, and mycotoxin levels. The resulting RNAi delivery platform offers an environmentally safer alternative to traditional fungicides, with potential applications that extend to insect pest control and management of quarantine pathogens affecting global food trade.
Kalischuk’s team plays a critical role in advancing the Nanopect™ platform by showing how RNA interference (RNAi) can improve applications of fungicides in agriculture. Findings from this project demonstrate the potential for using RNAi technology for targeted treatment against agricultural pests and diseases. One study by Kalischuk’s team identified a new, aggressive fungal disease affecting strawberries in Canada caused by Neopestalotiopsis. This discovery not only shows the growing threat of crop diseases but also points to a new target for the Nanopect™-siRNA system to help manage it more effectively. In a review of RNAi mechanisms and applications, the team describes the RNAi process where double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) silences specific genes, helping plants fight off pests and diseases. One promising method called spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) entails applying dsRNA directly to plants to stop pests or pathogens without changing the plant’s DNA. This process fights off fungal diseases by disrupting chitin, a key structural component of fungal cell walls. By targeting chitin, this process can weaken or kill the fungus without harming host plants, which don’t contain chitin. The effectiveness of this approach can be enhanced using nanoparticles like Nanopect™, whose size allows for better protection of the RNA and better absorption into the plant. Together, these findings show how RNAi can help solve urgent problems in agriculture related to pest and disease management, particularly fungal control, against a growing range of targeted plant diseases affecting grains.
This research and the development of Nanopect™ has immediate practical applications in controlling Fusarium in wheat and barley, while also showing promise for emerging threats like the newly identified aggressive Neopestalotiopsis fungal disease in Canadian strawberries. In the short term, it represents a shift from traditional chemical fungicides to targeted molecular controls, creating new value-added opportunities in bio-nanotechnology through sour cherry processing. Notably, Ontario’s sour cherry production alone could yield enough Nanopect™ to treat over 100 million acres of crops—demonstrating strong potential for scalability. In the long term, this work supports a shift in agricultural practices toward reduced reliance on toxic agrochemicals, leading to improved food and environmental safety. Beyond fungal control, the RNAi delivery technology has promise for adaptation to insect pests and broader plant disease management, contributing to a more sustainable global food system and positioning Ontario as a leader in agricultural innovation. Ongoing research to further improve RNAi effectiveness will continue advancing this technology across local and global markets.
Koeppe, S., Kawchuk, L., & Kalischuk, M. (2023). RNA Interference Past and Future Applications in Plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(11), 9755-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119755
McNally, J., Prapagar, K., Goldenhar, K., Pate, E., Shan, S., & Kalischuk, M. (2023). First report of an aggressive species of Neopestalotiopsis affecting strawberry in Canada. New Disease Reports, 48(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/ndr2.12210
Dr. Francois Tardif, Dr. Cezar Khyrsigara, Dr. Loong-Tak Lim, Dr. Josh Nasielski, Dr. Jason Deveau, Dr. John Dutcher, Dr. Eric Lyons, Dr. Gale Bozzo
Malavika Nair, Vighnesh Sukhu, Nima Nalin, Narges Atabaki, Taylor Royal, Sarah Koeppe, Justin McNally, Jolina Berleth, Devijoti Royal, Ethan McDonald, Dr. Jiyoo Baek, Dr. Abdurraouf Abaya
Psigryph Inc., OMAFRA
