• Home
  • Agric
  • Sci, Tech & Innovation
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Hausa Articles/News
  • More
    • Business/Banking & Finance
    • Politics/Elections
    • Entertainments & Sports
    • International
    • Investigation
    • Law & Human Rights
    • Africa
    • Corruption/Accountability
    • Hassan Gimba
    • Column
    • Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim
    • Prof. M.K. Othman
    • Defense/Security
    • Education
    • Energy/Electricity
    • Entertainment/Arts & Sports
    • Society and Lifestyle
    • Food & Agriculture
    • Health & Healthy Living
    • International News
    • Interviews
    • Investigation/Fact-Check
    • Judiciary/Legislature/Law & Human Rights
    • Oil & Gas/Mineral Resources
    • Media/PR/Journalism
    • General News
    • Presidency
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Board Of Advisory
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ethics Policy
    • Teamwork And Collaboration Policy
    • Fact-Checking Policy
    • Advertising
  • The Stories
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Nigeria moves to end fish importation, empower youth in aquaculture
  • Le Nigeria veut mettre fin à l’importation de poissons et renforcer la production locale
  • [BREAKING] Why I resigned from PDP – Former vice president Atiku
  • Le Nigeria et le CILSS unissent leurs efforts pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle
  • Nigeria, CILSS deepen strategic partnership to bolster good and nutrition security
  • JUST IN: Court discharges Fayose of money laundering charges
  • India, Saudi Arabia boost ties on fertiliser and investment
  • Agribusiness centre champion calls for research use
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
AsheNewsAsheNews
  • Home
  • Agric

    Nigeria moves to end fish importation, empower youth in aquaculture

    July 16, 2025

    Le Nigeria veut mettre fin à l’importation de poissons et renforcer la production locale

    July 16, 2025

    Le Nigeria et le CILSS unissent leurs efforts pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle

    July 16, 2025

    Nigeria, CILSS deepen strategic partnership to bolster good and nutrition security

    July 16, 2025

    India, Saudi Arabia boost ties on fertiliser and investment

    July 16, 2025
  • Sci, Tech & Innovation

    Sokoto’s BMT 1.0 EV: Big things also come from small places

    July 15, 2025

    Camel tears show promise in neutralizing venom from 26 snake species – Study

    July 15, 2025

    Bitcoin blazes past $122K: Ethereum, XRP, and Dogecoin rally amid market optimism

    July 14, 2025

    ABU Enactus team wins €1,500 at 2025 Schneider battery innovation contest in Lagos

    July 9, 2025

    Investments rise in data, AI, outpacing physical assets — UN

    July 9, 2025
  • Health

    Enugu trains health leaders for sector reform

    July 16, 2025

    NGO urges better pain relief for Nigerian women with cancer

    July 16, 2025

    Society urges adoption of genomic testing to fight cancer

    July 16, 2025

    TCI ends support as Osun takes over family planning funding

    July 16, 2025

    Healthcare upgrade needed now, says Folasade

    July 16, 2025
  • Environment

    Lagos hosts launch of high-tech waste sorting tool

    July 16, 2025

    Delta taps waterways to boost blue economy

    July 16, 2025

    Sokoto stakeholders call for concerted efforts in fight against desertification, drought

    July 15, 2025

    Lagos to launch rail academy for transport sector development

    July 15, 2025

    Environment: Kano governor redeploys heads of key agencies to bolster development agenda

    July 14, 2025
  • Hausa Articles/News

    A Saka Baki, A Sasanta Saɓani Tsakanin ‘Yanjarida Da Liman, Daga Muhammad Sajo

    May 21, 2025

    Dan majalisa ya raba kayan miliyoyi a Funtuwa da Dandume

    March 18, 2025

    [VIDIYO] Fassarar mafalki akan aikin Hajji

    January 6, 2025

    Mafarkin gaisawa da makiyi, Tare da Sheikh Aliyu Y. Sokoto

    January 5, 2025

    [RA’AYI)] Adawar Siyasa A Jihar Sokoto Da Sauran Lamurra

    September 6, 2024
  • More
    1. Business/Banking & Finance
    2. Politics/Elections
    3. Entertainments & Sports
    4. International
    5. Investigation
    6. Law & Human Rights
    7. Africa
    8. Corruption/Accountability
    9. Hassan Gimba
    10. Column
    11. Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim
    12. Prof. M.K. Othman
    13. Defense/Security
    14. Education
    15. Energy/Electricity
    16. Entertainment/Arts & Sports
    17. Society and Lifestyle
    18. Food & Agriculture
    19. Health & Healthy Living
    20. International News
    21. Interviews
    22. Investigation/Fact-Check
    23. Judiciary/Legislature/Law & Human Rights
    24. Oil & Gas/Mineral Resources
    25. Media/PR/Journalism
    26. General News
    27. Presidency
    Featured
    Recent

    Nigeria moves to end fish importation, empower youth in aquaculture

    July 16, 2025

    Le Nigeria veut mettre fin à l’importation de poissons et renforcer la production locale

    July 16, 2025

    [BREAKING] Why I resigned from PDP – Former vice president Atiku

    July 16, 2025
  • About Us
    1. Contact Us
    2. Board Of Advisory
    3. Privacy Policy
    4. Ethics Policy
    5. Teamwork And Collaboration Policy
    6. Fact-Checking Policy
    7. Advertising
    Featured
    Recent

    Nigeria moves to end fish importation, empower youth in aquaculture

    July 16, 2025

    Le Nigeria veut mettre fin à l’importation de poissons et renforcer la production locale

    July 16, 2025

    [BREAKING] Why I resigned from PDP – Former vice president Atiku

    July 16, 2025
  • The Stories
AsheNewsAsheNews
Home»Food & Agriculture»Researchers developing natural pesticide alternative that doesn’t harm honeybees
Food & Agriculture

Researchers developing natural pesticide alternative that doesn’t harm honeybees

Abdallah el-KurebeBy Abdallah el-KurebeAugust 25, 2019No Comments3 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Researchers at the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food are collaborating with industry to develop a natural, sustainable biocontrol which targets pests without harming honeybees and other beneficial pollinators

By Sean Barton, University of Sheffield

Estimated global crop loss to pests – including insects, plant viruses and fungi – is around $100 billion every year, equating to a 40 per cent loss in global agricultural production
New pesticide alternative could help achieve food security whilst protecting vital pollinators

A natural, sustainable alternative to pesticides that targets specific pests, without harming beneficial pollinators such as honeybees, is being developed with the help of researchers from the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield.

Working in collaboration with industry partner and leading agricultural company, Syngenta, experts at the institute are helping to develop a pioneering biocontrol that uses dsRNA-based biocontrols to target plant pests.

RNA is a molecule essential for the coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes. RNA-based biocontrols exploit a naturally occurring process called RNA interference (RNAi) in which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) essentially stops the production of a critical protein in the target pest.

There is a significant need for innovative approaches to crop protection, driven by the need for greater food production, pest expansion linked to climate breakdown and the push for more sustainable farming practices.

New research published by the scientists in Analyst, a Royal Society of Chemistry journal, suggests this new approach could be key to addressing the threat to food security posed by plant pests, which account for a 40 percent loss in global agricultural production and costs $100 billion every year.

Professor Mark Dickman, from the Institute for Sustainable Food and Director of Research at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, led the study.

He said: “The RNA biocontrols we are working on with Syngenta can help to address the sustainability challenge for farming. The idea is that dsRNA is applied to the crops, then along comes the pest, which eats the crop. The dsRNA molecule then kills the pest by triggering the RNAi mechanism. The advantage of this is that we can be highly selective. We have the ability to target a specific pest while protecting beneficial species, such as honeybees.

“A key challenge will be making enough of these biocontrols which are natural, biodegradable and sustainable, and to deliver them to the crops. We’re currently working on production strategies to make the RNA biocontrols and methods to analyze this important product.”

Mike Bean, Head of RNAi Platforms at Syngenta, said: “Syngenta has been developing the science behind RNA-based biocontrols for several years, led by scientists at our Ghent Innovation Centre in Belgium. We partner with a number of leading academic institutions and industry organizations to help address the many challenges involved in moving from concept to product.

“We are delighted to work with the experts at the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food on some of the dsRNA production and analysis challenges as we continue to develop the high-quality science and data that will be needed to bring this innovative and exciting product to market for the benefit of farmers.”

The Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield brings together multidisciplinary expertise and world-class research facilities to help achieve food security and protect the natural resources we all depend on.

The study, Analysis of long dsRNA produced in vitro and in vivo using atomic force microscopy in conjunction with ion-pair reverse-phase HPLC, is published in the journal Analyst and can be accessed via: DOI:10.1039/C9AN00954J

Agricultural Biotechnology Pollinators University of Sheffield
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
Abdallah el-Kurebe
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Related Posts

Nigeria moves to end fish importation, empower youth in aquaculture

July 16, 2025

Le Nigeria veut mettre fin à l’importation de poissons et renforcer la production locale

July 16, 2025

Le Nigeria et le CILSS unissent leurs efforts pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle

July 16, 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Nigeria moves to end fish importation, empower youth in aquaculture

July 16, 2025

Le Nigeria veut mettre fin à l’importation de poissons et renforcer la production locale

July 16, 2025

[BREAKING] Why I resigned from PDP – Former vice president Atiku

July 16, 2025

Le Nigeria et le CILSS unissent leurs efforts pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle

July 16, 2025
About Us
About Us

ASHENEWS (AsheNewsDaily.com), published by PenPlus Online Media Publishers, is an independent online newspaper. We report development news, especially on Agriculture, Science, Health and Environment as they affect the under-reported rural and urban poor.

We also conduct investigations, especially in the areas of ASHE, as well as other general interests, including corruption, human rights, illicit financial flows, and politics.

Contact Info:
  • 1st floor, Dogon Daji House, No. 5, Maiduguri Road, Sokoto
  • +234(0)7031140009
  • ashenewsdaily@gmail.com
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
© 2025 All Rights Reserved. ASHENEWS Daily Designed & Managed By DeedsTech

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.