DPR Awards $2.6M in Grant Funding to Accelerate Adoption of Safe, Effective and Sustainable Pest Management in California

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DPR Awards $2.6M in Grant Funding to Accelerate Adoption of Safe, Effective and Sustainable Pest Management in California

Funding will Support Five Research Projects and Three Outreach Projects to Advance Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Adoption in Agriculture and in Urban Settings

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SACRAMENTO - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today announced $2.6 million in grant funding awarded to eight projects that advance the adoption of safer, more sustainable pest management.

The department awarded $1.72 million in Research Grants to fund projects that advance integrated pest management (IPM) knowledge, tools and practices. DPR additionally awarded $942,000 in Alliance Grants to fund projects that promote or increase sustainable pest management though the implementation, expansion and adoption of effective, proven and affordable IPM systems or practices.

Over the past 20 years, DPR has awarded more than $26 million for over 100 projects that advance the use of IPM. Previously funded Alliance and Research Grant projects are available on DPR's website.

"We are excited to support the research, testing and work of our grant awardees that expands options for safe and effective ways to manage pests," said DPR Director Julie Henderson. "Pest management is critical to protect people and our environment, to support our infrastructure, and to provide a healthy and sustainable food supply. The innovation reflected in our Research and Alliance Grant Awards is key to combating -- in safe, sustainable ways -- the mounting pest pressures driven by our changing climate."

Both grant programs sought applications that addressed more than one of the Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap's defined sustainability pillars, including human health and social equity, environmental protections and economic vitality, or one or more of the following topic areas:

• Advancing IPM for underserved or disadvantaged communities.
• Decreasing the use of high-risk/high-volume pesticides (such as fumigants like 1,3-dichloropropene or sulfuryl fluoride).
• Advancing urban IPM and safer, more sustainable pest management tools and strategies in urban settings.
• Advancing IPM and safer, more sustainable pest management tools and strategies in agricultural settings, particularly in settings adjacent to or near schools.
• Meeting the IPM needs of small growers.

Research Grants Program recipients:

• Developing pest resistant plant breeds to reduce fumigant use: $460,663
  Dr. Shahid Siddique, Associate Professor of Entomology and Nematology at University of California, Davis, will investigate a plant gene for its ability to help tomato plants resist infection by nematodes. Dr. Siddique's efforts are intended to reduce the need for soil fumigation to control these destructive parasites.
• Developing drone software for releasing beneficial biocontrol organisms: $252,771
  Dr. M. Khalid Jawed, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University of California , Los Angeles, will design and test software capable of flying drones in high tunnels used for crop production. Dr. Jawed's team will then test the use of these drones for dispersing biocontrol organisms, which may offer a safer, cost-effective alternative to the use of pesticides in these spaces.
• Identifying resistant Botrytis and exploring alternatives for pest management in greenhouses: $256,093
  Dr. Johanna Del Castillo Múnera, Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension at University of California, Davis, will test samples of Botryritis spp. recovered from greenhouses for resistance to commonly used pesticides. Dr. Del Castillo Múnera's project will then evaluate a variety of safer, more sustainable pest management options for Botrytis management, including biocontrol organisms.
• Using agricultural plant waste to combat soilborne pests: $353,491
  Dr. Christopher Simmons, Department Chair and Professor of Food Science and Technology at University of California, Davis, will evaluate the use of postharvest "waste" material from California agricultural production, including grape pomace and almond hulls, for their use in biosolarization of agricultural fields. Biosolarization takes soil that has been combined with organic matter and uses sunlight to heat the soil and maintain it at a temperature that kills pathogens. These underutilized materials may offer a low-cost input that could assist in reducing the use of soil fumigation to combat a variety of soilborne pests and pathogens.
• Exploring walnut materials' impact on nematode management: $401,090
  Dr. Andreas Westphal, Professor of Cooperative Extension in Nematology at University of California, Riverside, will test the use of compounds found in walnuts and walnut hulls for their ability to combat soil nematodes that cause significant damage in California orchards, particularly during early growth stages. Dr. Westphal's project will ideally reduce the need for soil fumigation, especially during pre-planting, for California nut production.

Alliance Grants Program recipients:

• Integrating IPM into Medi-Cal: $283,183
  Anne Lamb, Director of Regional Asthma Management & Prevention, a Project of the Public Health Institute, will educate Medi-Cal Asthma Remediation (AR) providers about IPM. This will ensure that when pests are identified through AR in the homes of low-income Californians, these pests are addressed through IPM practices.
• Minimizing rodenticides through detection and monitoring: $491,549
  Luis Agurto, Chief Executive Officer of Pestec, will deploy a network of sensors and create a digital application that will organize, store and share data related to rodent pest management, particularly regarding the implementation and efficacy of alternatives to rodenticides. These data will ideally encourage and accelerate the adoption of these alternatives.
• Developing an IPM program in Vista: $167,203
  Yale Jeffery, Public Works Supervisor at the City of Vista, will develop an IPM program for the city that is focused on more sustainable weed management. Jeffery's project will ideally serve as a model for other urban areas seeking to eliminate or reduce herbicide use.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation's mission is to protect human health and the environment. The department achieves this mission by fostering safer, sustainable pest management and operating a robust pesticide regulatory system. DPR's work includes registering all pesticides sold or used in California, conducting pre- and post-registration scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide use laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agriculture Commissioners and their 500 field inspectors.

DPR also conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information. More information about DPR can be found on our website.

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