Speaker Spotlight #3: A New Kind of Crop Protection
What if the next generation of crop protection could be designed with precision at the molecular level?
At the 2026 Ontario Pest Management Conference, Wayne Barton, Development & Tech Services Consultant with GreenLight Biosciences Inc., will explore one of the emerging technologies that could help shape the future of the IPM toolbox: RNA interference (RNAi).
RNAi uses targeted delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to interfere with specific biological processes in pests. Its highly targeted nature, short environmental half-life and potential for reduced effects on beneficial organisms and other non-targets make it a particularly interesting approach to crop protection.
But promising technology doesn't automatically translate into reliable field performance.
Wayne's presentation will look at where RNAi and dsRNA technologies are being used today - and what needs to happen for them to move beyond a small number of novel products toward a broader crop protection platform.
That means tackling some very practical questions: How do we select effective targets? How can dsRNA be produced economically? How do we formulate and deliver it effectively? How do we achieve sufficient uptake, persistence and consistency under real-world field conditions? And what will regulatory science need to consider as the technology develops?
As growers face a shrinking selection of conventional active ingredients, technologies like RNAi offer a glimpse at what a very different kind of crop protection toolbox could look like.
Meet Wayne Barton
Wayne Barton is a Development & Tech Services Consultant with GreenLight Biosciences Inc., where he is focused on the development of their dsRNA crop protection pipeline.
A graduate of the University of Guelph with a BSc (Agr) and MSc in plant pathology, Wayne spent 26 years with BASF Canada in crop protection field research, marketing and R&D leadership, following earlier consulting work in crop residue, soil dissipation and efficacy.
His career has spanned both the practical and technical sides of crop protection - and now, he is working at the forefront of an emerging technology with the potential to add an entirely new dimension to the IPM toolbox.
From molecules to messages, the next generation of crop protection may work very differently.
Join Wayne and our other plenary speakers at the 2026 Ontario Pest Management Conference on November 3 in Guelph ON as we explore The Next IPM Toolbox: Finding Tomorrow's Solutions.
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