Overview
Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the green transition of agriculture has become a global consensus. However, citrus, a globally important economic crop, is increasingly threatened by citrus aphid-borne diseases which are spreading in major producing countries like China, India, and Japan, severely impacting industry stability and farmer livelihoods. The United States, also a major production area, noted in an industry report that a 20% reduction in California's citrus acreage would result in the loss of 8,213 jobs, $214 million in employee income, and a $569 million reduction in state GDP [1]. The threat posed by citrus aphids cannot be ignored.
As the world's largest citrus producer, China has made progress in agricultural technology dissemination, but significant shortcomings remain in achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG #2: Zero Hunger: Citrus aphids lead to reduced yield and lower quality, affecting food security and market supply.
- SDG #12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The production and consumption model of chemical pesticides is high-carbon and environmentally unfriendly.
- SDG #15: Life on Land: Ecosystem and biodiversity destruction are caused by the impact of chemical pesticides.
- SDG #3: Good Health and Well-being: The overuse of chemical pesticides for pest control threatens the safety of agricultural products, the ecological environment, and farmer's health.
- SDG #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The promotion of RNA pesticides faces challenges such as lagging technological research and development and incompatible infrastructure.
- SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The perennial recurrence of pests reduces orchard harvests, affecting farmers' stable income and rural sustainable development.
- SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Rural environmental risks and community conflicts arise from chemical pesticide pollution.
- SDG #17: Partnerships for the Goals: The disconnect in industry-academia-research collaboration affects the efficient utilization of resources.
The birth of APHiGO stems from our concern regarding the practical problems caused by citrus aphids—they not only cause crop loss but also lead to pesticide abuse, ecological imbalance, and directly impact farmer income and lives. APHiGO is dedicated to creating sustainable, green plant protection tools to achieve "precise, safe, and efficient" control of citrus aphids, replacing chemical pesticides. Ultimately, APHiGO aims to contribute the "China Solution" to the global green transition of agriculture and safeguard food security.
In our view, the SDGs are not empty slogans but directions that every innovative project must concretely follow.
We invite you to learn how APHiGO is conducting technological research and practical exploration around the SDGs. We will now reveal the answer, showcasing APHiGO's solid steps on the path to sustainability.
SDG#2
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
SDG#2 aims to ensure that everyone has access to safe and nutritious food. As an important economic crop, stable citrus production is vital for the availability, accessibility, and stability of food security. By precisely controlling citrus aphids, APHiGO improves yield and quality, thus solidifying the foundation of food security from the production side.
Problem & Solution
Availability
Problem
In the Shantou production area of Guangdong, we witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the citrus aphid: it punctures and sucks the sap from leaves and rapidly transmits Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV), leading to leaf curling, root decline, and ultimately, the death of the fruit trees.
This is more than just a loss for individual orchards; it's a global biological threat: the migration and feeding habits of the citrus aphid have greatly accelerated disease spread. CTV has already caused outbreaks worldwide, damaging over 100 million citrus trees [2].
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Solution
APHiGO uses bioinformatics analysis to screen for key pathogenic gene targets in the citrus aphid, such as Chitin Synthase (CHS) and CYP450 oxidase, and then designs a specific dsRNA dry powder formulation.
A single application of this product can kill 60% of citrus aphids. It is non-toxic and harmless to the environment and effectively reduces the risk of aphid resistance, making it suitable for long-term safe use. By precisely killing the vector, it significantly inhibits the spread of CTV within the orchard.
APHiGO's precise and efficient control will guarantee citrus yields at the source, filling supply gaps caused by pests and strengthening the foundation of food security availability.
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Accessibility
Problem
When citrus is infested with aphids, it often develops visual damage such as "insect eyes" and spots, which severely impacts its marketability. Furthermore, farmers' heavy reliance on chemical pesticides to control the pests leads to the risk of excessive pesticide residues. This makes it difficult for citrus to meet the increasingly strict food safety standards in both domestic and international markets. This conflict seriously hinders the improvement of citrus quality. Many citrus crops that have the potential to reach "premium" quality standards are blocked from high-end market access due to these secondary issues arising from the control process. This, in turn, limits consumer choice and causes a shortage in the market supply of high-quality citrus.
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Solution
APHiGO's mechanism of action is based on sequence-specific recognition, and RNA molecules naturally degrade rapidly in the environment, unlike some chemical pesticides that form persistent residues in fruit and soil. Additionally, APHiGO is designed with an easily degradable delivery system. While effectively controlling the pest, it greatly reduces the risk of pesticide residues.
This means that products from customers using APHiGO are more likely to pass strict pesticide residue testing, aligning with green standards in both Chinese and international markets. This allows them to access high-end channels, enabling more consumers to acquire safe, high-quality citrus.
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Stability
Problem
The overuse of chemical pesticides has led to a vicious cycle of increasing dosage and frequency, severely threatening the long-term stability of the citrus industry. China's annual pesticide usage is 130,000 tons, which is 2.5 times the global average. The actual utilization rate of pesticides is less than 30%, far below the 50%-60% level seen in developed countries. This inefficient application model directly inflates planting costs: the average pesticide expenditure per mu (a unit of area) for citrus in China is as high as 536.15 CNY, which is 18 times that for grain crops [4].
Chen Linong, a local pesticide supplier in Shantou, reported in an interview that individual farmers frequently purchase pesticides repeatedly due to declining control efficacy. This not only increases their input costs but also accelerates the degradation of the orchard's ecological environment. Long-term dependence on chemical pesticides not only drives up planting costs but also results in increased aphid resistance and reduced control effectiveness. This situation dampens the production enthusiasm of growers, potentially leading to slack orchard management or even abandonment, which ultimately jeopardizes the stability of the citrus industry in the long run.
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Solution
APHiGO utilizes a bi-RNA design, allowing it to simultaneously target multiple genes. This multi-target design significantly reduces the risk of citrus aphids developing resistance.
Furthermore, we significantly extend the period of control efficacy through the MS2-VLP delivery system, aiming to reduce the frequency of application per unit area in future compliant field use. Preliminary calculations indicate that the comprehensive control cost is expected to be reduced by 46% compared to chemical pesticides, offering growers a more economical and sustainable long-term option and stabilizing their production confidence.
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Positive influence
Boosting Yield
Guaranteeing Quality
Stabilizing Supply
APHiGO can efficiently and precisely suppress aphid population growth and block the transmission of Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV). In future field trials, this solution is expected to demonstrate significantly superior control over the target pest, thereby directly protecting citrus yield and ensuring market supply.
The appearance damage and excessive pesticide residues resulting from traditional chemical pesticides are major obstacles for high-quality citrus to enter the market. APHiGO's precise targeting avoids direct harm to the fruit, and its components degrade quickly in the environment, ensuring the fruit's green characteristics. This allows the produce to meet more stringent food safety standards, expand consumer channels, and enable more consumers to access safe, premium-quality citrus.
The overuse of chemical pesticides leads to rising planting costs and increased resistance, threatening industry stability. By utilizing a multi-target design and the MS2-VLP-based delivery system, APHiGO effectively delays the development of resistance and prolongs efficacy. This reduces long-term control costs, offering growers a more sustainable management option that helps stabilize their willingness to produce.
Feedback from SDG Stakeholders
Our solution directly addresses the real-world dilemmas we observed while visiting the production areas.
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Wang Fude, the person in charge of the Old Wang Orchard Base in Jinshi Town, Chaozhou, candidly told us: "Pesticide residue testing is getting stricter, and the demand for high-quality fruit is high. We have to apply pesticides to prevent disease and secure our harvest, but at the same time, we worry about exceeding residue limits. Your kind of precise and safe product is exactly what we urgently need." |
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During a visit to the nearby Lihong Agricultural Materials Store, the owner, Mr. Lin, also mentioned: "Farmers have always trusted [their local suppliers]; they don't look at the name or formulation when buying pesticides, they only care about the effect they see with their own eyes. The results from bio-pesticides are getting better and better, and this is what everyone is looking forward to." |
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This feedback reflects the industry's urgent anticipation for a green transition.
Risk Response
Low Grower Acceptance
Feedback from SDG Stakeholders
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Through early-stage research in Taohe Town, Haifeng County, Shanwei City, we learned that small-scale farmers are generally cautious about new technologies. Liu Jinguie, a representative grower from a Shatang Tangerine orchard, told us: "The plant protection subsidy is only a few thousand yuan a year. We're used to cheap pesticides; as long as they work fast, that's enough." |
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When asked about RNA pesticides, common concerns included: "What if no one dares to eat the fruit after spraying and we can't sell it?" and "I can't understand the instructions, what if I use it wrong?" This clearly reflects that their decisions are primarily based on short-term considerations of "fast results and low cost." Their main concerns about RNA pesticides center on two points: worry about market acceptance and the existence of a technical usage barrier.
Countermeasure
We believe that the promotion of APHiGO must be built on trust and feasibility across all parts of the industry chain. Given our startup status, we are targeting medium-to-large citrus planting enterprises and pesticide suppliers as our first potential customer base. We will prioritize meeting their core needs regarding product efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and application ease to rapidly validate the product's value. Subsequently, as the product matures and costs decrease, we will gradually expand to individual citrus growers and small-to-medium pesticide suppliers, aiming for full-level
SDG#12
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
SDG #12 advocates resource-efficient and environmentally friendly production and consumption patterns. APHiGO achieves full-chain responsibility for pesticides and drives the transformation of the pesticide industry towards low-carbon and circular models through tiered designs that include green production, precise application, and eco-friendly packaging.
Problem & Solution
Green Production
Problem
Traditional chemical pesticide production relies on petrochemical raw materials and requires high temperature and high-pressure conditions for synthesis, resulting in high energy consumption. At the same time, the production process generates toxic wastewater and exhaust gases, polluting the environment. The production of every ton of chemical pesticide generates approximately 10-15 tons of high-concentration organic wastewater, which is costly and difficult to treat. [5]This presents a significant challenge for global environmental governance. Based on this consideration, APHiGO consistently focuses on eco-friendliness in its design and optimization.
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Solution
The core component of APHiGO, dsRNA, is produced through a cell-free in vitro transcription system. This system does not require high temperature or high pressure, resulting in lower energy consumption. Furthermore, the production process generates no toxic wastewater or exhaust gas emissions, and all by-products can be rendered harmless, thereby reducing resource consumption and environmental pollution at the source of production.
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Resource Utilization
Problem
Due to increasing aphid resistance, farmers commonly try to boost control efficacy by increasing application frequency and higher dosages. This results in a low actual pesticide utilization rate of less than 30%, significantly lower than the 50%-60% achieved in developed countries ;[4]
Large quantities of unused pesticides enter the environment through volatilization and leaching, leading to both resource waste and pollution.
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Solution
Because APHiGO is based on RNA interference (RNAi) technology, it only targets citrus aphids and has no effect on non-target organisms. To achieve the same control effect, its actual application dosage per mu is significantly lower than that of traditional broad-spectrum pesticides.
Additionally, the MS2-VLP delivery system enhances the stability of the RNA molecules, prolonging the duration of efficacy and reducing the frequency of application. It is projected to decrease the application frequency from the traditional six times per year to less than three times, thus substantially lowering the total pesticide usage and improving resource utilization efficiency.
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Eco-friendly Packaging
Problem
Traditional pesticide packaging often consists of non-degradable plastic bottles and bags, which farmers carelessly discard in fields and ditches, leading to "white pollution." Furthermore, pesticide residues in some packaging can further pollute the soil and water sources and are difficult to recycle and dispose of, posing a challenge for agricultural environmental governance.
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Solution
APHiGO's product packaging uses biodegradable materials, which can degrade into harmless substances in the natural environment after use, thereby preventing "white pollution." Additionally, the product insert will include a guide for the disposal of residual pesticide liquid, instructing farmers on the proper handling of waste liquid to reduce pesticide contamination caused by packaging residues.
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Positive influence
Reduced Resource Consumption
Full-Chain Pollution Reduction
Driving Green Pesticide Production
Risk Response
Unstable Production Technology
Difficulty in Changing Farmers' Application Habits
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During a visit to the nearby Lihong Agricultural Materials Store, the owner, Mr. Lin, also mentioned: "Farmers have always trusted [their local suppliers]; they don't look at the name or formulation when buying pesticides, they only care about the effect they see with their own eyes. The results from bio-pesticides are getting better and better, and this is what everyone is looking forward to." |
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Response Plan We are collaborating with the Longhua Research Institute, which provides us with experimental facilities and equipment to help us optimize the transcription system formula. We will verify stability through multiple small-scale and pilot-scale trials. If the results are promising, we will scale up the production process to a larger scale.
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In the future, we will establish cooperation intentions with relevant contract manufacturers. After obtaining the pesticide production license, we will sign a Quality Assurance Agreement to clarify production standards and defect resolution plans, ensuring quality during mass production.
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SDG Stakeholder Feedback Chen Linong, the owner of a pesticide supply store in Shanwei, pointed out to us: "During daily conversations with farmers, I've noticed most people have the mindset of 'more medicine, more peace of mind,' believing increased dosage enhances control. They are unfamiliar with the concept of 'quantitative application' and are even worried that low dosages won't control pests. There's a need to popularize the concept of scientific pesticide use." |
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Response Plan
In the future, we will use field demonstration comparisons to show local farmers the practical effect of "APHiGO achieving high efficacy with low dosage." Simultaneously, we will conduct science education with easy-to-understand explanations, allowing farmers to clearly see that APHiGO offers both low cost and high efficiency. This will guide them to change traditional application habits and promote the use of low-volume, low-toxicity green pesticides.
SDG#15
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
SDG #15 emphasizes the protection of biodiversity and the sustainable use of ecosystems. By precisely targeting citrus aphids, APHiGO minimizes its impact on non-target organisms, achieving a harmonious coexistence between the citrus industry and the natural ecosystem, thus providing a solution for protecting biodiversity.
Problem & Solution
Ecological Balance
Problem
Traditional chemical pesticides lack species specificity, indiscriminately killing both aphids and beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, and bees during application. In citrus groves where chemical pesticides are used, the populations of aphid natural enemies (ladybugs and lacewings) are significantly reduced compared to untreated orchards, and the pesticides can cause a strong repellent effect on bees foraging on treated flowers, leading to a significant drop in their visitation frequency .[6]The loss of beneficial insects causes citrus aphids to lose their natural control, making large-scale outbreaks more likely. This creates a vicious cycle of pesticide use that both wastes resources and fundamentally destroys the citrus grove ecosystem.
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Solution
APHiGO is centered on RNA interference (RNAi) technology. It uses bioinformatics to screen for key pathogenic genes in citrus aphids. Blast analysis shows that these key pathogenic genes share over 85% sequence homology with certain aphid pests, such as the pea aphid, while the RNA molecule's gene coverage rate is less than 40% in non-target species like bees. This largely controls the risk of off-target effects. It is expected to achieve a "kill only aphids, spare beneficial insects" precise control effect, increasing the survival rate of beneficial insects, allowing the natural control function of aphid enemies to gradually recover, and reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.
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Soil Health
Problem
Traditional pesticides have a long residual period in the soil, lasting from 6 to 12 months, which continuously inhibits soil microbial activity. For instance, the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid takes approximately 28 days to degrade by only 90% after application .[7]
Furthermore, chemical pesticides cause sublethal or lethal effects on soil fauna (such as multicellular organisms like earthworms and nematodes), reducing their contribution to organic matter decomposition and soil structure improvement .[8]
This leads to slow decomposition of soil organic matter, decreased fertility, and the decline of fruit tree root systems. The reduction in soil organisms turns the orchard into an "ecological desert," causing higher trophic-level organisms like birds and frogs to leave due to lack of food, thereby completely breaking the terrestrial food chain.
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Solution
The core component of APHiGO (dsRNA) and the MS2 Virus-Like Particle (VLP) delivery system degrade quickly and completely in the natural environment. Lab verification shows their degradation half-life is less than 7 days, and the degradation products are harmless nucleotides and proteins that will not accumulate in the soil. The recovery of soil organisms will attract birds and frogs back, helping to rebuild the citrus orchard ecosystem.
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Positive influence
Maintaining Orchard Biodiversity
Strengthening Soil Ecological Function
Driving the Transition to Eco-Friendly Agriculture
APHiGO's specific targeting and easy degradability will prevent harm to beneficial insects and soil organisms. The reappearance of creatures like birds and frogs in the orchard will lead to a significant increase in terrestrial ecosystem biodiversity.
The recovery of soil organisms promotes the decomposition of organic matter and improves soil fertility, providing a practical agricultural model for the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
The APHiGO application model is expected to develop into a "Green Orchard Construction Guide." By promoting it to surrounding production areas, it will encourage more orchards to abandon broad-spectrum pesticides and switch to green farming practices, aiding regional terrestrial biodiversity protection.
Risk response
Enhanced Aphid Resistance
Safety for Beneficial Insects Unverified
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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During a discussion with Director Wu Xuehui of the Ketang Town Agricultural and Rural Service Center, we noted: "The continuous, singular use of one type of RNA pesticide could lead to aphids developing resistance through gene mutation, causing control efficacy to decline after 3-5 years." |
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He expressed a shared vision for reducing future pesticide residues and resistance, agreeing that mitigating this future risk is crucial for the project's sustainable development.
Response Plan
Through the design of multi-target fused dsRNA, APHiGO can simultaneously act on multiple key genes, enhancing the lethality of RNAi and reducing the risk of resistance. When resistance occurs, the team will promptly adjust the sequences to ensure continuous and effective control.
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SDG Stakeholder Feedback Director Liao and the Chaozhou Agricultural Science and Technology Development Center advised us: "Short-term lab verification is insufficient to fully prove the long-term safety for beneficial insects. We need to establish long-term monitoring sites in the field to track indicators such as beneficial insect reproduction and population dynamics." |
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Response Plan
We have already obtained project approval for a field trial at the experimental base of the Shenzhen Longhua Bio-Industry Innovation Research Institute.
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In the future, we will establish ecological monitoring sites at the Longhua experimental base to continuously track indicators such as the reproduction rate and lifespan of beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees after APHiGO application. We will visit the monitoring sites regularly and publicly release the monitoring data, allowing farmers to visually observe the positive ecological conditions of the orchard, thus strengthening their trust in APHiGO's safety.
SDG#3
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
SDG #3 focuses on health and well-being for all, but the overuse of chemical pesticides threatens the safety of growers, environmental quality, and food safety. APHiGO uses green control methods to reduce pesticide exposure and residues, protecting the health of all stakeholders across the entire industry chain.
Problem & Solution
Occupational Health
Problem
Aphid control in China's citrus industry heavily relies on organophosphate pesticides. As aphid resistance intensifies, farmers often increase the frequency and dosage of application, leading to heightened health risks. Traditional backpack spraying methods allow the pesticide liquid to be easily absorbed through skin contact and respiratory inhalation, causing symptoms of acute poisoning, while long-term exposure may lead to irreversible neurological damage .[9]
Furthermore, family-based farming operations often suffer from poor protective awareness and non-standardized procedures, further increasing the risk of occupational exposure.
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Solution
Based on RNAi technology, APHiGO has high species specificity, targeting only genes unique to aphids, making it safe for humans and non-target organisms.
APHiGO is prepared by dissolving its dry powder formulation in water and is applied using trunk injection. The needle uses pressure to deliver the pesticide. If used according to the instructions, this method helps reduce the likelihood of growers being injured by contact with highly toxic chemicals.
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Public Health
Problem
Organophosphate pesticides are highly persistent in the environment, easily polluting soil and water sources through rainwater runoff, thereby indirectly harming human health. Long-term consumption of contaminated water or crops grown in contaminated soil poses a potential threat to the nervous and digestive systems of surrounding residents. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are one million accidental pesticide poisoning incidents every year, leading to 20,000 deaths .[10]This cross-community spread of pollutants affects the health of even non-farming populations, which contradicts the goal of "health for all."
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Solution
APHiGO's environmental friendliness stems from the fact that its core component and delivery system can degrade quickly and completely in the natural environment. This ensures it will not accumulate in the soil or water bodies. Simultaneously, applying the liquid directly to the target site via trunk injection significantly reduces the total amount entering the environment at the application stage, completely avoiding the ecological contamination caused by the drift and leaching associated with traditional pesticides. Therefore, the application of APHiGO is expected to fundamentally resolve the environmental pollution issues of traditional chemical pesticides and lower the resulting public health risks from two aspects: "avoiding residues" and "reducing exposure."
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Food Safety
Problem
To pursue effective pest control, the overuse of pesticides leads to prominent issues with excessive pesticide residues in citrus products. In terms of pesticide use, the practice of mixing and misusing pesticides still exists, and routine monitoring and spot checks show that citrus is one of the fruits with the highest detection rate and highest exceedance rate of pesticide residues.
Pesticide residues ingested through diet pose differentiated risks to various populations: for children and pregnant women, they may affect neural development or cause fetal deformities; for the average adult, long-term intake may also trigger chronic health problems. The risk of pesticide residues in citrus has become a significant hidden danger in the field of food safety.
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Solution
APHiGO's mechanism of action is based on sequence-specific recognition, and the RNA molecule naturally degrades rapidly in the environment. Unlike some chemical pesticides that form persistent residues in fruit and soil, this ensures that the pesticide can be completely broken down within the citrus growth cycle, thereby guaranteeing that no pesticide residues are present in the final fruit.
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Positive influence
Protecting Grower Occupational Health
Eliminating Public Health Threats
Ensuring Consumer Food Safety
The application methods for organophosphate pesticides expose growers to a direct risk of occupational exposure. In contrast, APHiGO is formulated as a dry powder used with trunk injection, which can largely prevent growers from being accidentally harmed by highly toxic chemicals.
The residue and dispersion of traditional pesticides in the environment indirectly threaten public health through water sources and soil. APHiGO utilizes precise trunk injection and degrades quickly and naturally in the environment, significantly reducing the spread of pesticide into the environment and helping to block this indirect harm.
Chemical pesticide residues are a core hidden danger to food safety. APHiGO targets only the RNA sequence of a key pathogenic gene in the citrus aphid. Since it is completely degradable in the fruit and the environment, it technically eliminates the problem of persistent pesticide residues, offering consumers safer citrus products.
Risk response
Public Perception and Trust
Regulation and Market Acceptance
High Price of "Organic" Citrus
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
During public-facing events, such as the Deep Blue Charity Sale, we observed that participants' understanding of synthetic biology is mostly limited to basic education, and they are generally unfamiliar with specialized biological concepts. Furthermore, although citrus is a common fruit, public awareness of the agricultural pest issues it faces and of biopesticides is limited. This restricts the promotion of novel biopesticides like APHiGO, making it difficult for their real-world effects to reach the public eye.
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Response Plan
We will continue and expand our science popularization initiatives in primary/secondary schools and communities. By developing tailored educational materials and interactive activities, we will objectively explain the working principles and environmental safety of RNAi technology, gradually improving the public's scientific literacy and building social trust.
You can learn more in our Education & Communication section!
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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During the Nanjing Synthetic Biology Industry Expo, the team learned that the regulatory framework for RNA pesticides, as a new product category, is still in development in China. This includes the processes for domestic registration classification, field trial standards, and approval procedures. There is a risk of vague classifications and a lack of clear standards. If this continues, the registration of APHiGO will be extremely difficult, and its market acceptance will be greatly diminished. |
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Response Plan
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Our team consulted with Shanghai Green Valley Biotech Co., Ltd., an enterprise that has already applied for RNA pesticide registration, to proactively review domestic and international regulatory trends, ensuring the project's design aligns with future compliance requirements. We understood that, as a novel pesticide, RNA products face special regulatory policies regarding registration, record-filing, field trials, and approval. |
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In response to these regulatory hurdles, we conducted comprehensive research and authored two documents: "Analysis of China's RNA Pesticide Regulations" and "China's RNA Pesticide Industry Development Blue Book:Analysis of Global RNA Pesticide Regulations and Insights Tailored to China's Context" .These efforts aim to advocate for a science-based regulatory system and contribute to the development of biopesticides in China. |
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SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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The initial cost of citrus products using new technology may be high. While promoting in the Pingshan community, regular consumers mentioned that they primarily focus on the freshness, taste, and cost-effectiveness of citrus. They acknowledge the health benefits of no additives and low pesticide residues but are unwilling to pay extra just for an "organic" or "green" label. |
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Response Plan
We will work to control costs through technical optimization and efforts toward economies of scale. We will also actively explore cooperation models with upstream resources. Our goal is to ensure that the health benefits provided by APHiGO are affordable for a wider range of consumers.
SDG#9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
SDG #9 promotes green innovation and the development of sustainable infrastructure. APHiGO uses RNA pesticides as a breakthrough technology for practical implementation and industrial application, providing a replicable technological paradigm and infrastructure development solution for the green transformation of agriculture.
Problem & Solution
Technical Bottlenecks
Problem
As Green Valley Biotech pointed out during the Nanjing Expo, the RNA pesticide industry generally faces three major challenges:
difficulty in target screening, low delivery efficiency, and unstable large-scale production. These technical barriers prevent most laboratory achievements from being transformed into practical products.
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Solution
Our team used bioinformatics analysis to compare the gene sequences of citrus aphids with those of humans and beneficial insects. This allowed us to screen out aphid-specific key targets such as Chitin Synthase (CHS) and CYP450 oxidase, ensuring the technology's specificity.
Concurrently, we constructed an MS2-VLP delivery system to encapsulate the RNA molecules, protecting them from environmental degradation and theoretically enhancing field stability.
Finally, we adopted a cell-free in vitro transcription system for dsRNA production and optimized the reaction system formula to solve the problem of mass production stability, laying the technical foundation for industrialization.
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Production Matching
Problem
Most existing pesticide production lines are designed for chemical pesticides and cannot meet the "low-temperature, aseptic" production environment requirements of RNA pesticides. Furthermore, specialized equipment required for RNA pesticide production, such as cell-free in vitro transcription systems and purification units, is scarce. It is difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to bear the high cost of building their own production lines, leading to the dilemma of "having technology but lacking capacity."
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Solution
The cost of trial-and-error for blindly building our own production line is high. After careful consideration, we plan to partner with qualified pesticide contract manufacturers in the future. We will meet the production needs of the RNA pesticide by customizing and retrofitting their existing production lines. This customized outsourcing production model will both reduce initial investment costs and allow for the quick utilization of existing industrial facilities to achieve mass production, solving the problem of "capacity shortage."
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Service Implementation
Problem
The "last mile" of implementing new technology lacks adequate supporting services. Farmers are unfamiliar with the application method and dosage control for RNA pesticides and lack guidance from professional technical staff. Furthermore, the absence of regional technical service stations means farmers cannot get timely help with problems, leading to a situation where they "have the product but don't know how to use it," making it difficult to realize the technology's full potential.
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Solution
After obtaining compliance approval from iGEM and relevant parties, we plan to partner with large cooperatives to establish APHiGO application demonstration sites. Our team will provide on-site guidance for application procedures, creating a replicable field application protocol.
We also plan to collaborate with pesticide suppliers to jointly build "Field Service Stations" in major citrus-producing areas. These stations will be staffed with professional technicians to offer services such as technical consultation, application guidance, and problem feedback to farmers, effectively bridging the "last mile" of technology implementation.
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Positive influence
Driving Green Agricultural Industry Upgrading
Optimizing Innovation Infrastructure
Enhancing Industrial Technological Innovation Capacity
By achieving breakthroughs in core RNA pesticide technology, we provide a technical solution for the industry, accelerating the development of novel biopesticides to replace chemical pesticides. This empowers the "Third Generation Pesticide Revolution" and promotes the green transformation of agriculture.
After obtaining relevant compliance approvals, we will partner with contract manufacturers and strategically deploy service stations to build a complete infrastructure spanning R&D, production, and service. This provides a template for the industrialization of similar green technologies in the future.
APHiGO's technical breakthroughs and practical application can drive upstream and downstream enterprises to participate in green agriculture innovation, forming an industrial innovation cluster and strengthening agricultural technology competitiveness.
Risk response
Excessive Production Costs
Non-standardized Farmer Operation
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
Chairman Miao Xuexia of Shanghai Green Valley Biotech Co., Ltd. stated: "In RNA pesticide production, enzyme preparations and modified nucleotides account for the main costs. I suggest the student team optimize the enzyme concentration ratio or negotiate a long-term partnership with suppliers, as bulk purchasing can lower costs. Additionally, focus on high-value, high-demand markets initially to validate the business model."
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Response Plan
We will continuously lower the unit production cost by optimizing the cell-free in vitro transcription system. Initially, we will focus on medium-to-large pesticide suppliers and citrus farming enterprises that have urgent needs and a strong willingness to pay, quickly validating our product value and business model. Once scale is achieved, we will gradually reduce prices to cover ordinary farmers.
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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Ms. Fu from the Chaozhou Agricultural Technology Extension Center: "When introducing new pesticides, we found that what bothers farmers most is that they can't understand the instructions. They are full of technical jargon and farmers simply don't know what they mean. If the steps could be broken down into plain language and accompanied by pictures, it would be much easier for them to understand." |
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Director Liao from the Chaozhou Agricultural Science and Technology Development Center: "When promoting new technologies, just handing out manuals is useless; farmers need to try it themselves. We previously organized training where technicians brought the tools and taught on-site. Having the farmers follow along and do it once is more effective than explaining it ten times. We suggest collaborating with pesticide suppliers, letting them serve as 'technical points' where farmers can ask questions anytime, instead of waiting to fix problems after they occur." |
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Response Plan
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We will produce visual operation manuals that combine text and images, as well as short video tutorials, to simplify the application process. We will clearly mark the application dosage, timing, and method on the product packaging to lower the barrier to operation. In the future, we will collaborate with pesticide suppliers to conduct technical training, ensuring that service station technicians are proficient in guiding farmers. |
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SDG#8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
SDG #8 emphasizes sustainable economic growth and decent work. The citrus industry is a major source of rural employment. APHiGO injects vitality into the rural economy by stabilizing output, enhancing operational safety, and attracting young people to the sector.
Problem & Solution
Stable Income
Problem
Citrus aphids and the Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV) they transmit lead to extreme fluctuations in yield, leaving farmers' income dependent on chance—they barely break even in good years and suffer catastrophic losses in bad years. Although farmers generally have a high acceptance of pest and disease control technologies, there are significant differences between groups: Older farmers' ability to adopt new technologies decreases with age, often leading to "technological powerlessness" due to complex procedures. Untrained farmers often misuse the technology, leading to unsatisfactory results, which further reinforces the belief that "citrus farming isn't profitable," and their willingness to continue farming steadily weakens .[11]
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Solution
APHiGO uses RNAi technology to precisely kill citrus aphids while simultaneously blocking the transmission path of CTV. This reduces the risk of yield loss caused by both pests and diseases at the source, stabilizing yields and thus enhancing farmers' income expectations, which alleviates the core concern of "low returns."
During subsequent promotion, we will create simplified, illustrated operation manuals for older farmers, accompanied by on-site field demonstrations, to lower the barrier to technology adoption. We will also conduct regular follow-up visits and perform the APHiGO application for them, reducing the difficulty of self-operation and gradually boosting their trust and satisfaction with technology.
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Work Safety
Problem
Traditional manual spraying requires farmers to carry pesticide barrels weighing 40-50 kg, and the pesticide solution can easily enter the body through the skin and respiratory tract, posing a high health risk. Furthermore, manual efficiency is extremely low, with one person only able to spray 8-10 mu per day, and efficacy is affected by weather. In contrast, drone application avoids human contact with pesticides through remote control and one drone can spray 400-800 mu per day, making it dozens of times more efficient than manual labor. However, farmers face obstacles related to the high cost of equipment and lack of operational skills .[12]
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Solution
The dry powder formulation of APHiGO has good solubility, is easy to prepare, and is directly compatible with drone application equipment, requiring no additional modifications. This lowers the adoption barrier for farmers.
Our team will later consider partnering with pesticide suppliers to launch an "APHiGO + Drone" package service. Farmers can directly purchase a package that includes the pesticide and the application service, eliminating the need to buy equipment or learn how to operate it themselves. This allows them to benefit from the "efficient and safe" advantages of drones, while APHiGO's precise pest control ensures efficacy, fundamentally changing the traditional application status quo of being "tiring, risky, and slow."
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Industry Vitality
Problem
The citrus industry workforce is severely aging, with a very low proportion of workers under the age of 35. Young people generally view agriculture as "dirty, tiring, and low-tech" work, lacking professional dignity and room for growth. Furthermore, agriculture's "long payback cycle and unstable income" contradict the youth's demand for "decent jobs and predictable income," causing a large number of young people to seek employment elsewhere and exacerbating the labor gap .[13][14]
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Solution
The student team collaborated with Taiziwan Primary School and the Pingshan Community to conduct educational events about RNA biopesticides. We produced short videos that popularize the principles of APHiGO and demonstrate real-world drone application. These efforts aim to showcase agricultural technological innovation to young people, cultivating their interest in agricultural science and technology.
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Positive influence
Ensuring Decent Income for Farmers
Creating New and Decent Employment
Revitalizing the Rural Economy and Industry
The stable increase in citrus yield and quality directly raises revenue per mu, avoids income fluctuations caused by pest outbreaks, and strengthens the foundation for rural household livelihoods. APHiGO stabilizes output to boost income and improves field services to enhance the technology experience for different groups, particularly by reducing operational difficulty for older farmers, thereby increasing their satisfaction with pest control technology and strengthening their confidence in farming.
The technical positions spurred by APHiGO meet the standards for decent work and can effectively attract labor back to agriculture, optimizing the rural employment structure. New roles like Green Control Technicians and Drone Application Operators feature "low risk, high skill, and stable income." This aligns with young people's expectations for a career that is "technical and promising," providing quality employment options for rural youth.
Stable citrus output drives the recovery of upstream and downstream industries, such as packaging, logistics, and sales. The creation of new jobs attracts labor back, alleviating the pressure of an aging workforce, while simultaneously promoting the transformation of agricultural production models toward "technological and modern" practices, thereby enhancing regional industrial competitiveness.
Risk response
Lack of Field Efficacy Evidence
High Cost of Drone Application
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
As a crucial form of collective economy in Chinese agriculture, cooperatives often adopt a land contracting and operation model, where individual member farmers are highly sensitive to costs.
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When the team visited the Suili Agricultural Cooperative in Shanwei City, the person in charge, Liu Xiaojun, stated frankly, "Every penny has to be carefully calculated. If a new pesticide isn't cost-effective, people definitely won't buy it." We learned that the cooperative's decision to purchase new pesticides requires approval from over half of its members. Older farmers, in particular, hold skepticism due to their unfamiliarity with new technologies, which affects the cooperative's willingness to adopt. However, the manager also mentioned, "If the effect is genuinely good, we can buy it in large batches together. The wholesale price would be much lower than individual purchases, which is one reason we are willing to consider a new pesticide." |
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Response Plan
We will strictly rely on the Shenzhen Longhua Bio-Industry Innovation Research Institute to complete field trials and publish scientific data on indicators like aphid mortality rates and yield increase margins. We will establish "demonstration fields" in major production areas like Shanwei and Raoping, organizing farmers for on-site observation and comparison. We aim to build trust through results they can "see with their own eyes" and invite existing users to share their experiences to alleviate the concerns of other farmers.
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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During a visit to the Lihong Agricultural Materials Business in Jinshi Town, Chaozhou, the owner, Mr. Lin, mentioned: "We also offer complementary application services, but the cost of drone application services is relatively high for farmers. Some small-scale farmers abandon the option because they 'cannot afford it.'" |
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Response Plan
In the future, we will collaborate with local agricultural departments to apply for "Green Agriculture Technology Subsidies," providing a certain percentage of cost subsidization for farmers willing to try the novel biopesticide. We will encourage cooperatives to procure the service collectively, using "bulk ordering" to lower the per-mu application cost, making modern application services affordable even for small-scale farmers. Furthermore, we will offer small-package trials of APHiGO.
SDG#11
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
SDG #11 focuses on community environmental quality and human settlement safety. APHiGO promotes harmonious coexistence between urban and rural areas and enhances the overall environmental sustainability of communities by reducing the spread of pesticides in the soil, water, and air.
Problem & Solution
Environmental Quality
Problem
raditional sprayed chemical pesticides are easily washed by rain and permeate the soil, flowing into groundwater or rivers, leading to a decline in soil microbial activity and excessive pesticide residues in water sources. In some citrus production areas, residents report that they "dare not wash vegetables with unfiltered water," as soil and water contamination directly threatens the very foundation of rural communities' production and daily life.
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Solution
The core component of APHiGO (dsRNA) and the MS2-VLP delivery system degrade quickly and completely in the natural environment. Their degradation cycle is shorter than that of traditional chemical pesticides, ensuring they will not accumulate in the soil or seep into water sources with rainwater. By using APHiGO, we can reduce pesticide pollution of the soil, groundwater, and rivers in rural communities at the source, helping to restore a community environment where "water is safe to drink and soil is safe to farm."
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Community Harmony
Problem
Orchards near urban areas are in close proximity to city communities. When traditional pesticides are sprayed, the spray mist can easily drift with the wind into surrounding residential areas, leading to the spread of pesticide odors and even causing conflict between residents and fruit farmers, thereby undermining community harmony. At the same time, the drifting pesticides can pollute urban air and affect residents' health.
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Solution
APHiGO supports application methods such as trunk injection and precise drone spraying. Trunk injection delivers the pesticide liquid directly into the fruit tree, completely preventing spray drift. Drone application uses controlled speed, altitude, and dosage to reduce the spread of mist, preventing pesticides from drifting into residential areas. The practical application of APHiGO can mitigate environmental conflicts between orchards and urban communities, fostering "agricultural-residential harmony."
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Governance Synergy
Problem
Agricultural pollution is characterized by "dispersion and concealment," making it difficult to control centrally like industrial pollution. Furthermore, environmental awareness among farmers varies, with some still believing that "as long as it kills the pests, a little extra pesticide won't hurt," leading to recurrent pollution problems and making it difficult to guarantee the sustainability of the community environment.
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Solution
In the future, the team will regularly collaborate with Community Resident Committees and pesticide suppliers to conduct "Green Control and Environmental Safety" publicity campaigns in citrus-producing communities. Through case studies and educational demonstrations, we will enhance farmers' environmental awareness and residents' understanding of green technology. At the same time, we will encourage residents to supervise pesticide use in the orchards, thereby forming a combined force for environmental governance synergy.
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Positive influence
Improving the Community Living Environment
Fostering Community Harmony and Stability
3. Enhancing Community Sustainability
Reducing pesticide pollution leads to more fertile soil and cleaner water sources in rural communities, and fresher air in peri-urban areas, resulting in a significant improvement in residents' quality of life.
Eliminating the conflicts between residents and fruit farmers caused by pesticides enhances community cohesion, building a positive relationship where the "orchard and community coexist, and humanity and nature are in harmony."
Driving the green transformation of agricultural production, reducing pesticide pollution, and lowering the costs of community environmental governance lays the foundation for the long-term sustainable development of the community.
Risk response
1. Difficulty with Tree Trunk Injection
2. Superficial Urban Resident Awareness
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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Mr. Zheng from the Shenzhen University Longhua Bio-Industry Innovation Research Institute: "During communication with farmers, many mentioned that 'trunk injection looks complicated; they don't know where to target or how deep to drill,' especially older farmers who are unfamiliar with the tools and worry about damaging the trees through improper operation. They tend to prefer familiar spraying methods, resulting in low acceptance of new application methods." |
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Response Plan
We will simplify the design of the trunk injection tool and add positioning scales to lower the difficulty of operation. We will partner with pesticide suppliers to offer "injection-on-behalf" services, so farmers do not need to operate the tool themselves, ensuring both precise application and environmental safety.
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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During the outreach event in the Pingshan Community, most residents indicated in the questionnaire that they prioritize environmental safety, hoping their city can maintain clean air and water resources. They expressed a desire for a quick solution to the soil and water contamination caused by chemical pesticides. However, their awareness of the environmental protection effects of RNA pesticides is insufficient. More intuitive forms of science education are needed to build their trust, helping to promote RNA pesticides first in rural communities near urban areas and then gradually expanding to other rural communities. |
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Response Plan
After completing the field trials, we will regularly host "Open Day" events in the community, inviting residents to take virtual tours of the APHiGO demonstration fields, where we will explain the technology's principles and degradation characteristics on-site. We will also utilize third-party testing reports to scientifically demonstrate environmental safety using data, thereby eliminating residents' concerns.
SDG#17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
SDG #17 aims to strengthen global partnerships for sustainable development. APHiGO facilitates multi-party collaboration—involving industry, academia, research, government, and enterprises—to integrate resources, share knowledge and technology, and streamline the implementation chain. This ensures the technology benefits the global citrus industry, forming a sustainable cooperation model where "all parties participate and all parties benefit."
Problem & Solution
Demand Alignment
Problem
Initially, the student team focused only on technical feasibility and did not fully research the actual needs of farmers. The initially designed "bead formulation" was deemed "nice to look at but impractical" by the head of the Suili Agricultural Cooperative in Shanwei City because it was incompatible with farmers' existing application equipment and was high-cost. He reported, "None of our dozens of farmers were willing to try it." Because it didn't align with farmers' needs, it ultimately remained in the lab stage and couldn't be converted into practical productivity.
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Solution
Through the Shenzhen University "Billion-Ten-Thousand Project" initiative, the team visited over 50 farmers, multiple cooperatives, and agricultural material enterprises in major production areas like Shanwei, Raoping, and Chaozhou. This clarified the farmers' core demands for "low cost, easy operation, and stable control efficacy." Consequently, we abandoned the "bead formulation" and "solution formulation" in favor of a "dry powder formulation" that is compatible with farmers' existing application equipment. In the production phase, it is equally important to ensure that technology development aligns with actual industry needs to prevent "a disconnect between laboratory technology and the field."
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Policy Popularization
Problem
Both national and local governments have special subsidies for biopesticides, but most farmers are unaware of these subsidy policies. A small number of cooperatives also fail to benefit because they don't understand the application procedures, meaning the policy dividends haven't been converted into an incentive for farmers to adopt green technologies. Many startup teams also miss out on quick promotion opportunities due to a lack of policy knowledge.
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Solution
In the later stages, we will establish a partnership with the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to quickly obtain the latest green subsidy policies. We will compile this information into an "Easy-to-Read Policy Interpretation Handbook" and distribute it to farmers through cooperatives and agricultural material stores. We will also assist the Qinghui Agricultural Cooperative in Shanwei with preparing subsidy application materials to increase their success rate. Simultaneously, we plan to collaborate with the Longhua Bio-Industry Innovation Research Institute to promote the inclusion of APHiGO in Shenzhen's recommended list for agricultural procurement, shortening the market promotion cycle and ensuring that policy dividends genuinely benefit both farmers and enterprises.
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Positive influence
Accelerating Technology Implementation
Enhancing Policy Implementation Effectiveness
Through collaboration across industry, academia, research, and application, the time for APHiGO's lab-scale trials was shortened by two months, and it successfully received approval for a field trial project. This will help rapidly transform "laboratory achievements into field products."
We will improve the smooth transmission of policy information and provide assistance with subsidy applications, allowing more farmers to benefit from green policy dividends. This will increase the future usage rate of biopesticides in pilot regions, thereby advancing the implementation of the government's green agriculture policies.
Risk response
Divergent Interests Among Stakeholders
Poor Outreach to Remote Areas
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
The person in charge of Guangdong Linong Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (a contract manufacturer) mentioned: "We want to increase the contract manufacturing price, the student team wants to control costs, and the farmers want low-cost procurement. If these interests aren't balanced, long-term cooperation will be difficult."
Response Plan
We will sign a multi-party cooperation agreement to clarify the distribution of benefits: universities retain the intellectual property rights; companies receive contract manufacturing revenue based on sales volume; cooperatives gain profit margins through bulk purchasing; and the government achieves policy goals through tax revenue and employment growth. We will also establish an "Ecological Benefit Fund," extracting 5% of APHiGO sales profits for farmer technical training and ecological monitoring, allowing farmers to share in the long-term benefits, thus balancing the interests of all parties and ensuring stable cooperation.
SDG Stakeholder Feedback
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Zhang Guifang, an individual farmer in Chikeng Town, Haifeng County, Shanwei City, reported: "I hope the team can regularly send professional agricultural technicians or personally guide the use of the new pesticide. Otherwise, technical guidance and product supply can't keep up. I want to buy it but have no channel, and if I buy it, I don't know how to use it and there's no after-sales support." |
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Response Plan
In the future, the team will establish "service stations" through local pesticide suppliers in pilot regions, training local technicians to act as "liaisons" responsible for promotion and feedback. We will also utilize online meetings for technical training to ensure comprehensive service coverage. For international cooperation, we will leverage the iGEM international platform to conduct online technical exchanges with foreign research institutions and companies. We will first run small-scale pilots before gradually establishing an international network to promote the technology for the benefit of the global citrus industry.
Conclusion
APHiGO utilizes RNAi technology for the precise control of citrus aphids, not only effectively improving citrus yield and quality but also fundamentally reducing the negative impact of pesticides on health, the environment, and the socio-economy. This provides a viable path for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals simultaneously. We will continue to optimize our technology, deepen our collaborations, and promote policy implementation to ensure that green agricultural technology benefits the global citrus industry and contributes to building a sustainable future.
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