DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICACIOUS RNAI-BASED BAITS FOR RIFA CONTROL

This project has one major goal: the development of an efficaciousinsecticide to control the red imported fire ant (RIFA) which is safe for boththe people handling it and the environment and is commercially attractive to commercial partners.Four objectives will be undertaken to achieve this goal. First, we will investigate means to optimize a) the safety of a candidate double strand ribonucleic acid material (MdsRNA) with respect to non-target organisms, aiming at accessing the largest range of applications and thus a larger market and b) the efficacy of MdsRNAs to the point where the technology is economically attractive for formulating into baits targeting RIFA (MdsRIFA). Second, we will focus on the scale up and characterization of the MdsRIFA-based baits, aiming at setting specifications required for their large-scale manufacturing, essential to make our product commercially viable. Third, we will develop oil-based broadcast baits for the top MdsRIFA candidates and test the ability of these baits to control queenright RIFA colonies. Forth, we will determine the minimum concentration of MdsRIFA in the bait to consistently achieve RIFA control under field conditions.