RNA interference (RNAi) has been used for agricultural insect pest control based on silencing of targeted insect genes. However, the effectiveness of RNAi and its applications in insect pest control remain challenging. Here we review factors that may affect the effectiveness of RNAi application, including the variability in RNAi efficacy among different insect species, a limited understanding of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) uptake and systemic RNAi mechanisms, and the effective delivery of dsRNA in field conditions. Furthermore, we summarize recent progress in RNAi strategies for crop protection, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of RNAi-based insect control, and propose potential strategies to increase the effectiveness of RNAi in insect control.

Genome editing technologies have revolutionized the field of plant science by enabling targeted modification of plant genomes and are emerging as powerful tools for both plant gene functional analyses and crop improvement. Although homology-directed repair (HDR) is a feasible approach to achieve precise gene replacement and base substitution in some plant species, the dominance of the non-homologous end joining pathway and low efficiency of HDR in plant cells have limited its application. Base editing has emerged as an alternative tool to HDR-mediated replacement, facilitating precise editing of plant genome by converting one single base to another in a programmable manner without a double-stranded break and a donor repair template. In this review, we summarize the latest developments in base-editing technologies as well as their underlying mechanisms. We review current applications of these technologies in plant species. Finally, we address the challenges and future perspectives of this emerging technology in plants.

Aphids are major agricultural pests that cause significant yield losses in crop plants each year. (E)-β-farnesene (EβF) is the main or only component of an alarm pheromone involved in chemical communication within aphid species and particularly in the avoidance of predation. EβF also occurs in the essential oil of some plant species, and is catalyzed by EβF synthase. By using oligonucleotide primers designed from the known sequence of an EβF synthase gene from black peppermint (Mentha×piperita), two cDNA sequences, MaβFS1 and MaβFS2, were isolated from Asian peppermint (Mentha asiatica). Expression pattern analysis showed that the MaβFS1 gene exhibited higher expression in flowers than in roots, stems and leaves at the transcriptional level. Overexpression of MaβFS1 in tobacco plants resulted in emission of pure EβF ranging from 2.62 to 4.85 ng d⁻¹ g⁻¹ of fresh tissue. Tritrophic interactions involving peach aphids (Myzus persicae), and predatory lacewing (Chrysopa septempunctata) larvae demonstrated that transgenic tobacco expressing MaβFS1 had lower aphid infestation. This result suggested that the EβF synthase gene from Asian peppermint could be a good candidate for genetic engineering of agriculturally important crop plants.