Summary
The project aims to develop an innovative method to combat the beet weevil - a pest that causes major damage to sugar beet production. With the help of RNA interference (RNAi), a natural biological process, targeted and environmentally friendly plant protection is to be made possible. The aim is to secure sugar beet production in Austria in the long term and at the same time protect non-target organisms.
Project description
The beet weevil(Asproparthenis punctiventris) poses an increasing threat to sugar beet production. Alternative control measures - such as drop traps, pheromone traps or the use of fungi to attack the beet weevil - only have a limited effect. A particular challenge is that the pest repeatedly causes extensive crop failures, especially in sugar beet cultivation areas with less than 500 mm annual precipitation, while biological control with insect-pathogenic fungi requires humid conditions.
The ASPiRNA project focuses on RNA interference (RNAi), a natural mechanism in which specifically designed double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) blocks the production of vital proteins in the pest. In addition to the development of the RNAi-based plant protection approach, the project is also investigating possible effects on non-target organisms - both through bioinformatic analyses and through feeding and injection trials. The mechanism of action is particularly selective. According to current knowledge, this approach will contribute to environmentally compatible land management with the least possible impact on biodiversity and natural environmental resources.
Project details
Project title: Sustainable and targeted control of the beet weevil(Asproparthenis punctiventris) using RNA interference
Project acronym: ASPiRNA
Project leader: AGES, Katharina Wechselberger
Project partners: Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME (FIME), Agrana Research and Innovation Centre GmbH (ARIC), AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
Funding: Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK)
Project duration: 06.2025 - 08.2028
Dieses Projekt wird im Rahmen des Ressortforschungsprogramms über dafne.at mit Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Klima- und Umweltschutz, Regionen und Wasserwirtschaft finanziert. Das BMLUK unterstützt angewandte, problemorientierte und praxisnahe Forschung im Kompetenzbereich des Ressorts.
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Last updated: 08.09.2026
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