The ASPB Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology

2023 Winners: Renata Bolognesi, Stanislaw Flasinski, Sergey Ivashuta, Daniel Kendrick, Curtis Scherder, and Gerrit Segers

The team have worked to develop an innovative product conferring complementary resistance to Bt in corn effective against corn rootworm. The underpinning science was truly innovative and this team, representing all the major players along the route to market have secured a first application, worthy of the award of the ASPB Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology. The project itself has won numerous in house awards, and it is appropriate for ASPB to add this accolade by acknowledging that innovation comes from the application of fundamental research findings. This award should also increase the awareness of the highest quality science performed by industry scientists.

The development, testing, and application of RNAi technologies for control of biotic agents is one of the most promising and fastest growing areas of agronomic research. The teamwork has been crucial for advancement of the technology and development of lines with a targeted pest control system; in itself is a great achievement.  The effective deployment of this unique means to control a major agricultural pest is a major achievement, in addition to the sustainable value it offers to address pest resistance.