Ecological Risk Assessment for an RNAi plant incorporated protectant

The spectrum of insecticidal activity of a dsRNA targeting the Snf7 ortholog in Western Corn Rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) was characterized by selecting and testing insects based upon their phylogenetic relatedness to the WCR. Additionally, a battery of Tier 1 non-target organism (NTO) bioassays was conducted with a range of arthropods representing various ecological functions within an agroecosystems.  Results from these bioassays demonstrate that the spectrum of activity for DvSnf7 is narrow and limited to a subset of beetles within the subfamily Galerucinae of the family Chrysomelidae. Data from the activity spectrum screening and NTO bioassays will be discussed in terms of ecological risk assessment for plants expressing an insecticidal RNAi trait.