Jhalendra P Rijal

Dr. Jhalendra Rijal has been the Cooperative Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisor with the University of California ANR since 2015. In this role, he leads applied pest management research and collaborates with growers, pest control professionals, and industry stakeholders to promote sustainable IPM practices in California’s upper San Joaquin Valley.

Rijal’s research focuses on developing innovative pest monitoring tools, understanding overwintering ecology and spatial distribution, and utilizing behavioral, biological, and other IPM-based strategies to improve pest management in specialty crops. His work has significantly contributed to managing both invasive and endemic pests in tree nuts, tree fruits, and other specialty crops. Key invasive pest research includes brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), spotted wing drosophila (SWD), and Carpophilus beetle, while his endemic pest work explores IPM solutions for navel orangeworm, plant and stink bugs, walnut husk fly, Pacific flatheaded borer in nut crops, and beet leafhopper-related curly top disease in processing tomatoes.

Before joining UC Cooperative Extension, Rijal was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at UC Davis, where he worked on research projects developing IPM strategies for peppermint and cool-season vegetable crops, focusing on mint root borer, spider mites, and invasive Bagrada bug. His doctoral research at Virginia Tech examined the spatial distribution and food-finding behavior of larval grape root borer in vineyard systems.

Rijal has been recognized with several prestigious student and professional awards, including the 'Friends of IPM' regional award from Southern Regional IPM for his Ph.D. research and a national academic excellence award from the President of Nepal for his master’s degree. His professional awards include Entomology/IPM Team Awards, the Virginia Tech Entomology Outstanding Recent Graduate Alumni Award, and more.