• RNA can indeed alter plant characteristics when it enters plant cells, though the changes are typically functional and temporary rather than permanent genetic modifications¹².
• Terrana Biosciences has developed sprayable RNA that enters plants through leaf tissue to deliver "temporary functional traits," such as improved cold tolerance, insect resistance, or antifungal capabilities, effectively changing how the plant behaves without altering its genome²¹.
• Researchers have demonstrated that RNA delivered via modified plant viruses can silence specific genes, leading to modified plant architecture, improved drought tolerance, accelerated flowering, and enhanced production of beneficial metabolites³.
• Companies like Apolo Biotech use stabilised RNA molecules that plants incorporate into their immune responses, allowing them to "learn how to defend themselves from attacks" and recognize and reproduce interference RNAs when pathogens strike⁴.
• However, the claim oversimplifies the process: the effects depend entirely on the specific type and sequence of RNA used, and the changes are generally transient, not passed to offspring, and distinct from genetic modification of the plant's DNA²⁵.

Overall validity: 72%

1. Flagship Pioneering launches new RNA crop protection company
2. Terrana Biosciences will create a new category of biologically modified crops
3. A new method allows genes in plants to be silenced to improve crop yields | EurekAlert!
4. RNA as a replacement for chemical pesticides | Business | Chemistry World
5. Targeted RNA crop protection – the next frontier in biopesticides