Using exogenously introduced dsRNA molecules to induce RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as an effective tool to control crop pests. RNAi can be employed to suppress the critical growth and developmental genes of targeted phytophagous pests at the post-transcriptional level to control their damaging effects on crop plants. The technology is eco-friendly with an in-built advantage of specific targeting, thus provides a safer alternative to non-targeted chemical pesticides. Over the last two decades, basic research in RNAi pathway, dsRNA delivery routes, its uptake, and systematic spread across genres has been extensively analyzed. This review focuses on key delivery strategies of dsRNA molecules, including host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), their strengths and weaknesses, and efficiency against phytophagous insects and fungal pathogens. Further, several cellular, physiological, and environmental barriers that affect the efficacy of these delivery routes are also discussed. Finally, an overview of future research orientations to improve the effectiveness of these RNAi tools is also described.

中文翻译：

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基于RNA的基因沉默方式控制昆虫和真菌植物害虫——挑战和未来前景

利用外源引入的 dsRNA 分子诱导 RNA 干扰 (RNAi) 已成为控制作物害虫的有效工具。RNAi可用于在转录后水平抑制目标植食性害虫的关键生长和发育基因，以控制其对农作物的破坏作用。该技术环保，具有特异性靶向的内在优势，从而为非靶向化学农药提供了更安全的替代品。在过去的二十年中，RNAi 途径、dsRNA 传递途径、其摄取以及跨流派的系统传播的基础研究已得到广泛分析。本综述重点关注 dsRNA 分子的关键传递策略，包括宿主诱导的基因沉默 (HIGS)、喷雾诱导的基因沉默 (SIGS) 和病毒诱导的基因沉默 (VIGS)、它们的优点和缺点以及针对植食性昆虫的效率和真菌病原体。此外，还讨论了影响这些递送途径功效的几种细胞、生理和环境障碍。最后，还概述了提高这些 RNAi 工具有效性的未来研究方向。