can rnai technologies be implemented by the …...the horticulture industry needs innovation milan,...

Can RNAitechnologies be implemented by the horticultural industry in Italy?

Mirco Montefiori

The Horticulture industry needs Innovation

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

An italian consortium started 14 years ago from the

partnership of 3 Apos (cooperatives) with the aim of

developing and identifying new cultivars for their

growers

Manage together the new cultivars selected by the

program.

Total

Fruit production > 640,000 ton.

Area 27,794 ha

Breeding cycle on fruit trees

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

STAGE 1Seedlings

STAGE 2Clonal trials

STAGE 3Orchard trials

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 98

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 98 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

*

Rosanna Ungaro cites Darwin at a Fresh Retailer Conference:

“It is not the strongest that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

1980s: 2 GB, 80.000 $ (30Kg)

2010s: 2 GB, 5 $

1990s: 2 GB, 200 $

Climate change

20-30 years

Climate change

Internet of Things(IOT)

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Virtual Augment reality

5 billion connected devices will

be in use this year, and the

number will reach >50 billion

by 2020 (Cisco).

3D Printing

Precision Farming

NBT - Genome editing

Innovation in horticulture

Market DRIVEN

Apricot cultivars 2000 - 2010

Faralia, Farbaly,

Pinkcot….

Extended calendar

Before 2000

Portici, Goldrich...

After 2010

Lady Cot, Wonder Cot,

Flopria…

Appearance, bicolour

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

Innovation in horticulture PEST and DISEASE driven

Pseudomonas syringae var. actinidiae (PSA)

Pro

du

ctio

n(1

,00

0 o

f to

n.)

>2.000 ha

of G3

To date

>4,300

ha of G3

Fusarium wilt of Banana (Panama disease):

race 1 and now race 4

Gros Michel Cavendish

1900-1960: > 100,000 ha destroyed in Central America

1950

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

Can RNAi technologies be implemented by the horticultural industry in Italy/Europe?

Calgene Flavr Savr

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

RNAi technologies for pest and disease resistance

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

• Resistance Against Viruses• Potato Virus Y (PVY) resistant potato

• Plum Pox virus (PPV) resistant Prunus domestica

• … many more

• Resistance Against Fungi and Bacteria• Phytoptora infestant resistant potato

• Xanthomonas citri resistant lemon

• Resistance Against Pests• Resistance to Myzus persicae (phloem feeding)

• Resistance to whitefly (phloem feeding)

• Resistance to WCR western corn rootworm (chewing )

• Resistance to Colorado potato beetle (chewing )

Phytoptora infestant resistant potato

(www. http://www.innatepotatoes.com/gen-two)

Colorado potato beetle resistant potato

http://www.max-planck-innovation.de/share/technology/0402-4919-MG-ZE_EN.pdf

RNAi technologies for fruit quality traits?

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

RNAi technologies as breeding tool?

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

Gene-silencing spray lets us modify plants

without changing DNA (?)

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

New Challenges

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

New Pest and Disease

Drosophylasuzukii

Brown marmoratestink bug

PSA

Other traits

Horticultural

Consumer

PPV resistance in Peach and

Nectarines

Collaborations with Univ. Politec. Marche (Prof. Bruno Mezzetti) and Vitroplant

PPV threat to the peach and nectarine industry

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

SHARKA - Plum Pox Virus (PPV):

PPV-D (Dideron)

PPV-M (Marcus): main strain in peach and nectarines

Specie Volume (ton) Area (ha)

Nectarine 105,500 4,200

Peach 41,200 1,992

Plum 36,900 1,642

Apricot 19,000 2,170

Total 202,600 10,004

RNAi resistant rootstock

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

Hairpin derivedsiRNAs

21-nt and 24-nt

LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC MOVEMENT OF RNA

SILENCING

Tournier et al., 2006, Molnar et al., 2010; Zhao and Song, 2014

Back to reality

NBT in EUROPE: Regulation ….

The High Level Group of the Commission's Scientific Advice

Mechanism (SAM) has published an independent Explanatory

Note ‘New Techniques in Agricultural Biotechnology’

• Cisgenesis

• Genome Editing

• Agroinfiltration

• Epigenetic modification RNA-dependent DNA methylation

• Grafting

• Reverse Breeding

In Italy

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

In Europe

NBT in EUROPE: …. and patents

In the EU

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

In the US

Crispr vs RNAi ?

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”

“Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must be first overcome”

SAMUEL JOHNSON

Thanks for your attention

Mirco Montefiori

Mirco.montefiori@newplant.it

Milan, 18-19 Oct. 2017 iPLANTA COST Action “Benefits and Cost associated with using RNAi technologies”