LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD News) — Agriculture may be entering a new era of insect management as gene-editing technology moves beyond the laboratory and toward commercial use.
Agragene is developing a precision-guided sterile insect technique that could give producers another tool to reduce damaging insect populations while lowering dependence on traditional insecticides.
Bryan Witherbee is the CEO of Agragene and says the technology builds on the sterile insect technique, which successfully helped eliminate pink bollworm from U.S. cotton fields and push New World screwworm out of the country decades ago.
Instead of sterilizing both male and female insects with radiation, the new system uses CRISPR gene-editing to produce only sterile males. Those insects compete with wild males for mating, making population control more efficient and potentially less expensive.
The approach could eventually be adapted to multiple invasive pests affecting crops and livestock while reducing pesticide applications and preserving beneficial insects. Witherbee says precision, scalability, and lower production costs could make the technology practical for agriculture.
Researchers continue evaluating the system, including its potential role in future USDA pest management programs.
