International crop network validates ledprona as a new Mode of Action group

An effective and novel pest-management solution with low-to-no residues aimed at the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) has received validation as a new mode of action (MoA) by the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee.

Ledprona, the active ingredient in GreenLight’s Calantha^TM product, was approved as a new mode of action in the recent winter meeting of IRAC, an international association of crop-protection companies that focuses on resistance management and sustainable agriculture.

The first foliar-applied, dsRNA-based bioinsecticide that provides effective control of CPB, Calantha^TM is expected to be registered in the United States this year. The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) ravages plants like potatoes and eggplant and accounts for more than $500 million in annual crop loss worldwide. 

For decades, insect resistance to pesticides has challenged growers. Using integrated pest management, which includes rotating insecticides, farmers and agronomists can prolong the useful lifespan of crop treatments. GreenLight’s product is designed to work well with standard growers’ programs to control first- and second-generation Colorado potato beetle infestations.

Calantha^TM has a unique mode of action among chemical and biological insecticides, which will provide farmers with a new tool aimed at protecting potato and eggplant fields from the Colorado potato beetle and support their efforts at resistance management. 

Ledprona, expected to be classified as IRAC MoA group 35 (RNAi-mediated targeted suppressors), specifically targets only CPB, causing the beetle to stop eating and expire from accumulation of its own metabolic waste. Because it is based on double-stranded ribonucleic acid, Calantha^TM degrades quickly in the environment, supports biodiversity, and is an example of the next generation of eco-friendly crop-protection products. 

The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee helps growers around the world by developing mode-of-action classification schemes; identifying new technologies for insect, mite, and tick control products; and  implementing insecticide resistance management strategies for crop protection, plant biotechnology, and public health.