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Poster

Session: Session 1 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-314 - Effects of double-stranded RNA spray on the leaf microbiota of potato plants

Tuesday, July 15, 2025
09:55 - 11:30  
Location: Confex Hall 3
RNA on the move: Advances in Cross-Species communiation &Translational Research
Pathogens cause severe diseases in plants, diminishing their yield and quality, and leading to economic
losses. Phytophthora infestans needs no introduction in this regard, infamous for causing the Irish potato
famine. This late blight causing pathogen continues to obliterate potato crops over the world to date.
Hence, susbtantial research is being pursued to find effective and sustainable ways to control it. One
such method that has gained momentum in recent years is spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS). It utilizes
a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) spray to specifically silence target genes in the pathogen and has been
proven to effectively control both late blight and other plant diseases. Besides its effectiveness, other
aspects of SIGS are still being unraveled, and will be key in translating it into a practical disease
management strategy. Among them is the effect of spraying dsRNA on the host microbiome. We have
attempted to address this question in our study by studying the microbiota of the potato phyllosphere
upon dsRNA spray. We found that the bacterial and fungal community metrics in the potato leaf are largely unaffected after dsRNA spray. These results are in accordance with previous observations in wheat and
barley where the main bacterial and fungal components of the phyllosphere remained unchanged in
plants sprayed with dsRNA. These results therefore highlight the safety and target specificity of SIGS and
brings us one step closer to its large-scale use in fields.