California Funds Over $3.6 Million in Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Projects

The department is now accepting applications for 2026 to support the transition to more sustainable pest management practices.

SACRAMENTO – 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.

Alliance Grants Program Recipients:

IPM Trainings and Resources for Roadside Weed Management: $206,662

Dr. Jutta Burger, Science Program Director at the California Invasive Plant Council, will lead a team of IPM experts to provide trainings and online resources for weed management professionals that manage roadside and other non-crop environments. California’s extensive network of these spaces offers a prime opportunity to reduce the use of traditional pesticides in favor of an IPM approach.
Effective IPM Practices to Control Grapevine Trunk Diseases: $114,205

Dr. Akif Eskalen, Professor of Cooperative Extension in Plant Pathology at University of California, Davis, will leverage a strong team of grape experts to disseminate recent developments in preventing grapevine wood diseases. To maximize reach, Dr. Eskalen will host a series of field days throughout ten of California’s leading grape-producing counties.

Extreme Heat Grants Program Recipients:

Bridging the Gap in IPM for Low-Income Housing: $272,879

Dr. Siavash Taravati, Area IPM Advisor at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, will conduct a series of trainings for staff and residents of low-income housing across major urban areas of California. These trainings will be led by urban pest management extension specialists, and they will provide vital information for residents in areas of the state that are most affected by extreme heat events, including increases in populations of pests such as cockroaches and rodents.
Structural IPM Tools for Wood-Destroying Insects: $306,283

Dr. Dong-Hwan Choe, Cooperative Extension Specialist and Professor at the University of California, Riverside, will lead a team of academics and pest management professionals in developing decision support tools for controlling wood-destroying insects (WDIs) such as drywood termites. The project aims to better understand current WDI management practices and promote IPM strategies that can effectively control WDIs with minimal risks to public health and the environment.
Sterile Insect Technique for Asian Citrus Psyllid: $399,953

Dr. Paul Rugman-Jones, Associate Project Scientist at University of California, Riverside, will lead a program that leverages past DPR-funded research concerning the use of sterile insect technique (SIT) for Asian Citrus Psyllid, the insect that vectors the highly damaging Huanglongbing disease of citrus. This insect’s range is expanding in part due to increasing heat due to climate change. Dr. Rugman-Jones and his team will work to inform residents of urban Southern California areas about SIT before conducting pilot releases of sterilized insects.

SPM Pilots Grants Program Recipients:

Small and Latino Family Farm Resources to Enhance Pest Management: $316,657

Ms. Shelly Connor, Deputy Director of Wild Farm Alliance, will promote sustainable pest management practices to enhance habitats for beneficial insects, birds, and soil microorganisms. The project will conduct outreach events, develop a continuing education course, and produce and distribute bilingual outreach materials, particularly focusing on small-scale and Latino growers on the Central Coast and in the Central Valley who often face barriers to accessing technical assistance resources.
IPM and Pollinator Habitat Education in California Orchards: $375,626

Mr. Miles Dakin, Co-Director of Agricultural Programs at Pollinator Partnership, will lead efforts in developing resources that promote IPM strategies in California orchard crops, emphasizing the protection and preservation of pollinators and their habitats in agricultural production. In addition to guides and videos, the team will also conduct outreach events such as field days, a webinar, and in-person individualized technical assistance to growers.
Introductory SPM Training Development with Needs and Feasibility Assessments: $59,025

Ms. Holly Wright, Senior Project Manager at Channel Islands Restoration, will design and host a field restoration class as well as conduct a needs and feasibility assessment to employers, growers, and related groups to seek feedback on how restoration education can be of benefit to the community. The project aims to develop a training program and related materials that can continue through Channel Islands Restoration, or other qualified teachers, with transferable methods that can support similar training programs in other California watersheds.
The 2025 Research Grants Program and 2025 Alliance Grants Program (Grants Programs) are in the first year of a planned three-year phased-in increase in available funding. For 2024 and prior years, DPR’s traditional combined baseline funding for the Grants Programs was $900,000. For 2025, $1.9 million in total funding was available. The 2026 grants cycle is expected to have $4.9 million in available funding, and 2027 funding is expected to rise to $5.9 million.

2026 Grants Cycle

For the 2026 grants cycle, DPR is combining the Research and Alliance Grants program into a singular SPM Grants Program.

The SPM Grants Program will award projects up to three years in length that develop more SPM tools and practices to reduce the use of pesticides of high regulatory interest or otherwise decrease the impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment. The Grants Program is particularly seeking proposals to address fungicide use, rodenticide use, and weed management.

For 2026, project budgets may range from $50,000 to $1,000,000. Grant applications will be accepted through October 14, 2025.

For more information on the DPR’s Grants Programs, please visit DPR’s Grants website.

For more information about the state’s transition to sustainable pest management, visit DPR’s website Accelerating Sustainable Pest Management: A Roadmap for California.

* Funding totals for awarded contracts are subject to change during contract drafting.