The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced today that it is awarding over $3.6 million in funding for projects to support research, development, and implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) systems and practices, sustainable pest management (SPM) demonstration projects, and efforts to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat.
The department also announced that it is now accepting proposal applications for the 2026 grant cycle to support the transition to safer, more effective, and more sustainable pest management practices.
For 2025, DPR’s Grants Program selected 12 projects to fully fund* from a pool of more than 50 proposals following review by DPR staff and the Pest Management Advisory Committee (PMAC). This amounts to more than $1.9 million in Alliance and Research Grants, and $1.7 million in contract funding for extreme heat mitigation and SPM demonstration projects.
“This year, we had a record number of proposals submitted through the Research and Alliance Grant Programs, reflecting enhanced funding by the legislature in our programs and growing interest amongst stakeholders in collaboration with DPR,” said DPR Director Karen Morrison. “DPR recognizes the need to support development and implementation of more sustainable pest management across California’s varied landscapes. By maximizing our investments in research and demonstration projects through grant funding and contracts, we can accelerate the state’s transition to sustainable pest management.”
Over the past 20+ years, including 2025, DPR has awarded over $28 million for more than 110 projects that advance the use of IPM and support the research and development of more effective, sustainable pest management practices to protect Californians and the environment. Previously funded Alliance and Research Grant projects are available on DPR’s website.
Research Grants provide funding for research that advances new IPM knowledge and reduce risks to public health and the environment in agricultural, urban, or wildland settings.
Alliance grants provide funding to projects that promote or increase the implementation, expansion, and/or adoption of effective, proven, and affordable IPM systems or practices that reduce risks to public health and the environment in agricultural, urban, or wildlands settings.
This year’s Alliance Grant proposals included projects to support IPM technical assistance for underserved populations in large urban areas suffering from effects of extreme heat. DPR’s Grants Program is awarding three proposals that will prioritize mitigating impacts to underserved populations across large urban Californian landscapes.
Alliance Grant submissions also included proposals for SPM demonstration projects to provide new SPM training opportunities and expand the availability and adoption of SPM tools and practices. DPR is funding three proposed SPM demonstration projects through 2024-25 budget investments to provide opportunities and grant funding for pilot projects to further accelerate the implementation of SPM.
Research Grants Program Recipients:
- Nonchemical Control for Navel Orangeworm in Pistachio and Almond Orchards: $498,998
Dr. Jhalendra Rijal, IPM Advisor at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, will investigate using winter sanitation practices and biological-based insecticides to address navel orangeworm and Carpophilus beetle, two economically important pests in almond and pistachio cultivation. Dr. Rijal’s work will ideally lead to reductions in the use of insecticides such as pyrethroids.
- RNAi-based Resistance for Nematode Damage to Walnut Orchards: $494,833
Dr. Shahid Siddique, Associate Professor of Entomology and Nematology at University of California, Davis, will use RNA interference to address nematode damage to walnut orchards. Soilborne nematodes are a critical driver of fumigation in California, and Dr. Siddique’s work offers an alternative approach that could prove economical.
- Dusts for Cockroach Control: $291,175
Dr. Chow-Yang Lee, Professor and Endowed Presidential Chair in Urban Entomology at University of California-Riverside, will combine learning from recent work on safer materials for indoor cockroach management – including silica gel dust, boric acid, and sucralose – to provide an effective, low-cost treatment option. Dr. Lee’s work will test a variety of combinations deployed in safer bait-station-like harborages that can be easily deployed by pest management professionals or residents.
- Receptor Interference Technologies for Managing Insect Pests: $348,674
Dr. Daniel Hasegawa, Research Entomologist at the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service, will the use of receptor interference against diamondback moth and thrips, two pests that cause significant economic damage to California vegetable crops such as lettuce. Dr. Hasegawa’s work will further promising preliminary work funded by a prior DPR Research Grant.
Source : ca.gov