b"is consumed by the beetles feeding on potato plants. It then acts to silence the gene in the insect that enables it to safely eat the potato leaves (which are toxic to humans and numerous animals). Eventually, the beetle stops feeding and dies from the toxins in the food it has consumed.The thing about Colorado potato beetle is it eats a lot, so it ingests a lot of dsRNA very quickly and it does its job, said Singleton. He noted GreenLight Biosciences first started work on developing the biopesticide six years ago and has tested Calantha extensively in field trials in the United States as well as Canada. The product has been tested in Canada, so we have data under Canadian conditions, he said.Calanthas novel dsRNA-based formula was designed to specifically target Colorado potato beetles and nothing else. For this reason, GreenLight Bio maintains the product wont harm beneficial insects like ladybugs and honeybees or other non-target insects or mammals.The companys trials indicated Calantha had no effect on any species tested except for CPB, even when tested at 100 times the rate that it will be applied at in agricultural fields.Calantha was also shown to break down quickly in the soil, degrading within three days and leaving no detectable harmful Mark Singleton, chief commercial officer and general manager ofresidue on plants or in the environment, soil or waterways.plant health at GreenLight BioSciences, says Calantha will be pricedAccording to Singleton, Calantha will be priced competitively competitively with leading brands for crop protection againstwith other CPB control products.Colorado potato beetle.PHOTO: GREENLIGHT BIOSCIENCES One of the big issues that the industry faced going through with RNA development is it was not cheap to make. As time has progressed, it's become cheaper and cheaper for us to produce it. We are now at below a dollar a gram, he said. This allows us to be cost competitive with the best products that are on the market.Singleton said Calantha will have a similar price, performance and application timings and will use the same application equipment as the leading crop protection brands used to manage CPB.The biopesticide has certainly caught the attention of the potato industry. In October 2023, prior to Calanthas registration, the National Potato Council (NPC) in the U.S. sent a letter of support for it to the EPA.The NPC described Calantha as an effective tool for potato producers across the United States struggling to protect their crops from the damaging Colorado potato beetle.This new and innovative pest control technology will allow growers for the first time to treat for Colorado potato beetle in a highly selective way that respects beneficial species and the health of farm workers, the NPC wrote. Cam Donly is a research scientist who specializes in biopesticide development and insect resistance management as part of his work at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in London, Ont.In an interview with Spud Smart, Donly said he believes dsRNA pesticides have great potential and are going to be important for farmers in the future.Vikram Bisht, a plant pathologist and potato specialist with ManitobaThe mechanism of action for dsRNA insecticides is completely Agriculture, thinks Calantha could be a valuable tool for managing insecticide resistance if approved for use by Canadian farmers. new, so that means they can be useful in addressing issues with PHOTO: VIKRAM BISHT, MANITOBA AGRICULTURE resistance, he said.44SPUDSMART.COMSpring 2024"