Exploitation of the natural RNA interference mechanism of plants and their pathogens has become established in the form of various strategies such as HIGS and SIGS, for the purpose of controlling diseases in agricultural crops. While HIGS is based on genetic modification of plants, the success of SIGS requires only a topical application of RNA molecules in the form of a biopesticide, thus making it possible to avoid regulatory hurdles in the field of GMO. Both methods involve the transfer of RNA molecules between plants and pathogens such as viruses, fungi, insects, oomycetes and nematodes, and have been successfully applied in many cases. However, despite recent advances in the study of cross-kingdom sRNA transfer, many aspects of the mechanism remain unclear, which makes further research a crucial part in achieving a stable and efficient sRNA transfer and function in target organisms. The discovery and application of RNA interference and the transfer of sRNA between organisms represents an important step towards sustainable and selective control of plant pathogens, potentially limiting the use of chemical pesticides and solving the global food security problem.
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