Why is this research important to Alberta?

• Flea beetles are the most damaging early-season pest of canola on the prairies.
• They survive Alberta’s winters in hibernation, then emerge in spring to feed on young seedlings.
• We know very little about how they survive winters or what triggers them to wake up in spring, so farmers can’t reliably predict outbreaks or time their controls.
• Canola is Canada’s second largest crop by area and a cornerstone of the national and provincial farm economy.
• Better forecasting of outbreaks means farmers can spray only when needed, cutting losses, reducing unnecessary pesticide use.
• Understanding how flea beetles overwinter will drive new predictive tools and targeted pesticides, advancing the province’s goal of stronger, more efficient food production.

What is the goal of this work? How will genomics be used?

• Fill a critical knowledge gap in how flea beetles survive winters and leverage that to develop ways to predict outbreaks and RNAi based pesticides for better flea beetle control.
• Two major canola pests will be studied:
  • crucifer flea beetles
  • striped flea beetles
• Using transcriptomics, the team will identify which genes switch on/off to trigger hibernation and spring emergence, drawing on existing genomic datasets for both species to streamline analysis.
• The project will deliver:
  • Data to strengthen predictive emergence models so growers can anticipate and time pest control precisely.
  • Gene targets for species-specific, environmentally conscious RNAi pesticides that silence beetle genes essential for overwinter survival, preventing their spring emergence.
• The project team consists of academic (University of Calgary, University of Alberta) and industry (Renaissance Biosciences) collaborators to help identify the most promising gene targets and test RNAi sprays.

What are the expected benefits, and how will the research findings be shared?

• Protects canola, one of Alberta’s most important crops, from their biggest insect pest.
• Industry partner Renaissance Biosciences provides a path to commercial RNAi products, advancing TRL towards field trials and turning research into products that farmers may eventually use.
• An eventual RNAi product would lead to a species-specific method of control, meaning other beneficial insects like pollinators won’t be hurt.
• Predictive tools will help farmers predict outbreaks better in light of changing winter conditions (e.g. if warmer winters help beetles survive better).

Related Resources

Findings or more information can be accessed through:

• Lab website: https://www.lebenzonlab.com/
• Spotlight article: Hibernating beetles break down and regrow their muscles on demand