Beyond pesticides: next-generation genetic biocontrol technologies for sustainable population suppression of agricultural insect pests

Chemical insecticides have long been used to control agricultural pests, but their widespread application has driven resistance and caused significant ecological and health impacts. CRISPR/Cas9-based genetic biocontrol technologies, including the precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) and homing gene drives (HGDs), offer targeted alternatives for suppressing pest populations with reduced environmental cost. pgSIT produces sterile males without radiation and achieves high mating competitiveness without multigenerational persistence. In contrast, HGDs bias inheritance to enable sustained population suppression through disruption of essential fertility or viability genes, albeit with greater ecological and regulatory considerations. Experimental applications in multiple agricultural pest species demonstrate robust suppression efficacy. Emerging innovations, including temperature-inducible pgSIT systems, may further streamline mass-rearing and deployment. Together, these approaches have the potential to reduce crop losses and reliance on chemical insecticides while lowering long-term management costs. Their successful integration into agricultural systems will depend on rigorous risk assessment, regulatory oversight, and stakeholder engagement.