Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent for Botrytis grey mould disease, is a devastating necrotrophic fungal pathogen responsible for significant yield losses in a wide range of crops, including chickpea. Repeated use of broad-spectrum fungicides may lead to loss of sensitivity through pathogen adaptation. Meanwhile, spray induced gene silencing (SIGS) triggering RNA interference (RNAi) is emerging as a promising management tool and to ensure global food security. SIGS involves the induction of highly specific post-transcriptional regulation of targeted essential genes via exogenous application of precursor long, non-coding double-stranded sequence-complementarity RNA (dsRNA) molecules. However, SIGS is limited by the stability of RNA under natural environmental conditions. Accordingly, layered double hydroxide (LDH) or clay particles used as carriers to deliver the dsRNA within a formulation termed BioClay™, may enhance the RNAi durability. Consequently, exogenous application of dsRNA targeting B. cinerea Dicer-like (DCL) genes delivered as BioClay prolonged protection to B. cinerea on mature chickpea plants under glasshouse conditions. For this, six-week-old chickpea flowering plants were treated with either naked dsRNA of BcDCL1/2, BioClay FgERG (non-specific control), BioClay BcDCL1/2, fungicide (Carbendazim) at a 1/20th of label rate or water. Two-days later, the treated plants were inoculated with a B. cinerea spore inoculum of 1x105 spores/ml and disease assessment was subsequently carried out 7-28 days after inoculation (DAI). At 28 DAI, plants sprayed with carbendazim fungicide and BioClay BcDCL1/2 provided better protection, compared to those sprayed with water, naked BcDCL1/2 dsRNA or BioClay FgERG. The BioClay BcDCL1/2 provided significant protection for up to 4 weeks (p<0.05) on the flowering plants, whereas naked dsRNA provided limited protection. Further, persistence of BioClay (stability of dsRNA) within chickpea leaf tissues was determined by spraying four-weeks-old chickpea plants with either naked DCL1/2 dsRNA, MgFe LDH only, BioClay MgFe DCL1/2 or water. The leaf tissues were collected at 0, 1, 5 and 10 days after application (DAA) in replicates. RNA was extracted from the leaf tissues and Northern analysis were performed to assess the dsRNA stability. Naked dsRNA encapsulated with LDH (BioClay) remained stable for maximum number of days. This improved stability likely led to prolonged RNAi-mediated protection against B. cinerea in planta. Further investigations are required to assess for systemic movement of dsRNA and potential distal fungal protection. Together, these studies will contribute to understanding the potential use of dsRNA target-specific sequences for systemic crop protection and demonstrate how dsRNA encapsulated with a nanocarrier improves RNA stability. Furthermore, this represents a major step forward for the adoption of SIGS as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional fungicides.