RNA interference (RNAi) has the potential to make major contributions towards sustainable crop production and protection with minimal environmental impacts compared to other technologies. RNAi is being developed and exploited both within plants (i.e. host-induced gene silencing, HIGS) and/or as topical applications (e.g. spray-induced gene silencing, SIGS) for targeting pest and pathogen genes and for manipulating endogenous gene expression in plants. Chapters by international experts review current knowledge on RNAi, methods for developing RNAi systems in GM plants and applications for crop improvement, crop production and crop protection. Chapters examine both endogenous systems in GM plants and exogenous systems where interfering RNAs are applied to target plants, pests and pathogens. The biosafety of these different systems is examined and methods for risk assessment for food, feed and environmental safety are discussed. Finally, aspects of the regulation of technologies exploiting RNAi and the socio-economic impacts of RNAi technologies are discussed.

• Chapter 1: Introduction to RNAi in Plant Production and Protection. Bruno Mezzetti, Jeremy Sweet and Lorenzo Burgos
• Chapter 2: Gene silencing to induce pathogen-derived resistance in plants. Zhen Liao, Elena Zuriaga, Ángela Polo and Maria L. Badenes
• Chapter 3: Exogenous application of small RNAs as a tool for gene function discovering. Barbara Molesini and Tiziana Pandolfini
• Chapter 4: The “Trojan Horse” approach for successful RNA interference in inscects. Dimitrios Kontogiannatos, Anna Kolliopoulou and Luc Swevers.
• Chapter 5: Biogenesis and functional RNAi in fruit-trees. Michel Ravelonandro and Pascal Briard
• Chapter 6: Gene silencing or gene editing: the pros and cons. Huw D Jones
• Chapter 7: Application of RNAi technology in Forest Trees. Matthias Fladung, Hely Haggman and S. Sutela
• Chapter 8: Host-induced gene silencing and spray-induced gene silencing for crop protection against viruses. Angela Ricci, Silvia Sabbadini, Laura Miozzi, Bruno Mezzetti and Emanuela Noris.
• Chapter 9: Small talk and large impact: the importance of small RNA molecules in the fight of plant diseases. Kristian Persson Hodén and Christina Dixelius
• Chapter 10: dsRNA stability during external applications – an overview. Ivelin Pantchev, Goritsa Rakleova and Atanas Atanassov
• Chapter 11: Boosting dsRNA delivery in plant and insect cells with peptide- and polymer-based carriers: cases-based current status and future perspectives. Kristof de Schutter, Olivier Christiaens, Clauvis Nji Tizi Taning and Guy Smagghe
• Chapter 12: Environmental safety assessment of RNAi plants for pest control. Salvatore Arpaia, Olivier Christiaens, Paul Henning Krogh, Kimberly Parker and Jeremy Sweet
• Chapter 13: Food and feed safety assessment of RNAi plants and products. Hanspeter Naegeli, Gijs Kleter and Antje Dietz-Pfeilstetter
• Chapter 14: Regulatory aspects of RNAi in plant production. Werner Schenkel and Achim Gathmann
• Chapter 15: The Economics of RNAi technology in plant breeding: from the innovation landscape to consumer acceptance. Dario Frisio and Vera Ventura
• Chapter 16: Communication challenges of RNAi and selected communication messages from iPLANTA for dissemination. Hilde-Gunn Opsahl-Sorteberg