Office of Pesticide

Consultation & Analysis

Biologically Integrated Farming Systems Awards

2025

CDFA awarded funding for two projects during the 2025 solicitation year for the BIFS program.

Project leader: Sara Tiffany with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)

Award: $1 million

Project Title: BIOS for stone fruit: Advancing biologically integrated pest management in California stone fruit orchards through participatory trials, co-learning and extension

The project advances SPM practices in California stone fruit orchards through incentivized Biologically Integrated Orchards Systems (BIOS) trials and demonstrations. Using a participatory extension approach, the project increases grower adoption of alternative practices to reduce pesticide use. This innovative structure aims to maximize change by minimizing financial risk and providing technical support using collaborative monitoring and extension to ensure sustained grower adoption and share practical SPM experience among growers and pest control advisors.

Project leader: Houston Wilson with UC Riverside

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Establishing a regional Decision Aid System (DAS) for navel orangeworm (NOW) in California tree nuts

This project, coordinated by American Pistachio Growers (APG), will implement a California-specific Decision Aid System (DAS) to support region-wide integrated pest management for the navel orangeworm (NOW), a key pest of pistachios, almonds, and walnuts. This DAS platform, initially developed by Washington State University, will provide real-time pest monitoring, phenology modeling, and management recommendations by integrating smart trap data with localized NOW predictions and crop susceptibility across California. This system will support grower decision-making and encourage the adoption of best practices to improve NOW control efficacy, reduce aflatoxin risk, enhance economic viability and environmental sustainability, and serve as a model for SPM in tree nut production.

2024

CDFA awarded funding for three projects during the 2024 solicitation year for the BIFS program.

Project leader: Ian Grettenberger with UC Davis

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Improving sustainability of diamondback moth management in cruciferous vegetables

The project develops and promotes best practices for sustainable control of diamondback moth, the single most damaging pest of California’s $1.4B cole crop industry. Alternative management techniques are critically needed due to the pest’s resistance to a wide range of insecticides. This project focuses on pheromone mating disruption and the use of natural enemies to manage the pest at the landscape level. Outreach will be conducted in collaboration with the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, the California Leafy Greens Research Board, and pest control advisors.

Project leader: Darryl Wong with UC Santa Cruz

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Optimization of steam soil disinfestation for healthy soils and communities around the ag-urban interface of coastal California

The project develops, evaluates, and demonstrates use of non-chemical alternatives to pre-plant fumigants in strawberry fields, especially in areas near schools, daycare centers, and other sensitive sites. Project leaders establish demonstration plots on the Central Coast to replace soil fumigation with steam injection, disease-resistant varieties, and other methods. Outreach and community engagement will be conducted in collaboration with key partners including the California Strawberry Commission, local growers, the Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner, California Certified Organic Farmers, and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

Project leader: Parry Klassen with Coalition for Urban Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES)

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Demonstration project for watershed-wide transition to pheromone-based navel orangeworm and codling moth management in almond and walnuts

The project implements pheromone mating disruption for navel orangeworm (almond and walnut) and codling moth (walnut) in orchards adjacent to waterways impaired with pyrethroid insecticides. Pyrethroids are the primary insecticides used to control the target pests. Implementing mating disruption tools minimizes use while maintaining yield and quality. The project lead will work with collaborators including Jhalendra Rijal (UC Cooperative Extension), the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition, California Almond Board, and pest control advisors to coordinate project efforts and outreach the importance of orchard sanitation practices, such as removing "mummy nuts," which harbor pests.

2023

CDFA awarded funding for one project during the 2023 solicitation year for the BIFS program.

Project leader: Ian Grettenberger

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Building sustainable practices for managing insect pests and viruses in California lettuce

The project evaluates and refines the use of non-crop habitat for pest control and the importance of landscape context. Outreach is conducted in collaboration with USDA and UC scientists, Wild Farm Alliance, Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, California Leafy Greens Research Board, and grower cooperators.

2022

CDFA awarded funding for one project during the 2022 solicitation year for the BIFS program.

Project leader: Hanna Kahl with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Optimizing spider mite management through on-farm research and educational outreach on biological control in walnuts and grape production systems in Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys

The project demonstrates and conducts outreach for the use of biological control to manage spider mites and other pests in winegrape and walnut orchards. Outreach is conducted in collaboration with commodity groups, Pest Control Advisors (PCAs), and UCCE, and will also include Spanish-language options. Technical assistance is provided to support select growers interested in adopting biological control.

2021

CDFA awarded funding for one project during the 2021 solicitation year for the BIFS program.

Project leader: Houston Wilson with UC Riverside

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Building Agroecological Partnerships to Facilitate Integrated Pest Management in Hemp

The project forms a new partnership known as the Hemp Agroecology Network (HAN) to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate ecologically based pest management practices in hemp. The HAN partnership includes hemp growers, consultants, researchers, and Cooperative Extension personnel, providing the foundation for a variety of research and grower–to–grower experiential learning opportunities. These activities target four hemp production regions including the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California.

2020

CDFA awarded funding for one project during the 2020 solicitation year for the BIFS program.

Project leader: Sara Tiffany with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Promoting biologically integrated orchard systems in walnuts in Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys

The project sets up six demonstration sites throughout major walnut-producing regions in the state where IPM-based programs are to be implemented. Demonstration sites utilize mating disruption programs for two major pests that were previously controlled using chlorpyrifos: coddling moth and navel orangeworm. Biological control of spider mites is to be investigated through release of predatory mites and planting of cover crops to attract natural enemies. A rigorous pest monitoring program informs spray decisions. When sprays are needed, more selective and lower-risk pesticides are to be used. The Project Team, in collaboration with the California Walnut Board and others, utilize demonstration sites to host field days and training sessions with growers, PCAs and CCAs where season-specific pest management activities are covered. Web-based materials, podcasts, videos, and industry publications are also being generated by the project team and distributed to the relevant audiences.

2019

CDFA awarded funding for one project in the initial 2019 solicitation year for the BIFS program.

Project leader: Dr. Kent Daane of UC Berkeley

Award: $1 million

Project Title: Refinement and Implementation of an Areawide Program for Vineyard Pathogens and their Insect Vectors

The project establishes two demonstration blocks of at least 1,000-acres each where pheromone disruption tools are to be used to control vine mealybug, the insect responsible for vectoring grape leafroll disease (GLD). Vines infected with GLD are also to be systematically removed to further prevent the spread of this economically devastating disease. Grower outreach is conducted in collaboration with the Central Coast Vineyard Team and the Lodi Winegrape Commission to expand the adoption of these low-impact practices in place of chemical insecticides. The project is focused in the Lodi and Central Coast winegrape regions.