	US 11,716,996 B2
	Compositions and methods for mitigating pest infestation with Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Dror Shalitin, Raanana (IL); Noam Grimberg, Kibbutz Lehavot Haviva (IL); and Nir Mogilner, Kibbutz Hatzor-Ashdod (IL)
Assigned to PLANTARCBIO LTD., Raanana (IL); and MERHAV AGRO LTD., Givat Brenner (IL)
Appl. No. 17/260,194
Filed by PLANTARCBIO LTD., Raanana (IL); and MERHAV AGRO LTD., Givat Brenner (IL)
PCT Filed Jul. 17, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IL2019/050804 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 13, 2021, PCT Pub. No. WO2020/016892, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/699,853, filed on Jul. 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0267216 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. C12N 15/82 (2006.01); A01N 63/60 (2020.01); C12N 15/113 (2010.01)

CPC A01N 63/60 (2020.01) [C12N 15/113 (2013.01); C12N 15/8218 (2013.01); C12N 15/8286 (2013.01); C12N 2310/14 (2013.01)]

9 Claims

1. A dsRNA for controlling infestation of a plant with red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), the dsRNA comprising a polynucleotide sequence comprising at least 140 bp and being about 85% to about 100% complementary to a segment of a target gene of the red palm weevil, wherein the target gene is a proteasomal beta-subunit gene having the coding sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 or SEQ ID NO: 317; and wherein when the dsRNA is topically applied or injected into plants and the plant is ingested by said red palm weevil, mortality and/or stunting of said red palm weevil is instigated.