Information as an ecological driver: Availability and accessibility of pollinator management knowledge for specialty crop systems in the U.S. Midwest

Gigi DiGiacomo; Omar Megahed; Marissa Schuh; Madeline Wimmer

doi:10.26786/1920-7603(2026)910

Authors

Gigi DiGiacomo University of Minnesota https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0301-7361
Omar Megahed University of Minnesota https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3394-6861
Marissa Schuh University of Minnesota Extension
Madeline Wimmer University of Minnesota Extension https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0888-8177

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2026)910

Keywords:

Accessibility, sharability, pollinator, specialty crop, agricultural information, Extension and outreach, Knowledge dissemination, Metadata, Search engine optimization, FAIR data principles

Abstract

Fruit and vegetable growers broadly recognize the ecological and economic importance of pollinators; however, they often lack credible, regionally specific, and discoverable guidance to support on-farm decision-making. To better understand these limitations, we explored two central questions for growers in the U.S. Midwest: (1) To what extent do pollinator-related resources exist for specialty crops? and (2) How accessible are these resources to the farming community and other end users?

A digital scoping review of 1,023 pollinator-related resources, including scientific peer-reviewed articles, non-profit organization literature, and institutional websites was conducted in 2024-2025. This analysis revealed substantial information gaps in crop coverage, regional representation, and best management practices. Next, we applied a weighted rubric grounded in common data principles to evaluate each resource’s reachability, metadata quality, search-engine visibility, indexing, and shareability. The results showed considerable variability across resource type and criteria: scientific articles demonstrated strong metadata structure and discoverability but restricted access due to paywalls, whereas non-profit, educational, and government resources were openly accessible but suffered from poor metadata and low digital visibility.

Together, these findings underscore a persistent paradox in pollination information systems and their ecological implications: the most rigorously structured resources are often the least reachable, while the most reachable and accessible are insufficient or difficult to locate. Our study highlights the need for more geographically relevant, crop-specific pollinator guidance, as well as improvements in metadata standards and long-term hosting infrastructure to ensure information is findable, accessible, and usable for growers and technical advisors.

Author Biographies

Gigi DiGiacomo, University of Minnesota

Ms. DiGiacomo is a research fellow (level 6) at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Applied Economics. She has extensive experience with ecological economics, invasive species management, and organic agriculture. She was awarded the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences Distinguished Research Award in 2024.

Omar Megahed, University of Minnesota

Mr. Megahed is a research assistant in the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Megahed is a computer science and engineering major (2025) and has experience with Python software programming.

Marissa Schuh, University of Minnesota Extension

Marissa Schuh is a horticulture Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Extension Educator with University of Minnesota Extension. In this role, she works with produce growers, horticulture professionals, and gardeners to troubleshoot issues, as well as develop relevant, timely educational content and programming. She has experience working with specialty crop growers on insect, disease, nutritional, weed, food safety, and regulatory issues. Marissa grew up in Minnesota, holds a master's degree in entomology from Michigan State University (MSU), and previously served as a vegetable extension educator with MSU Extension.

Madeline Wimmer, University of Minnesota Extension

Madeline Wimmer believes in a world that values local fruit production and the celebration of products derived from locally grown fruits. This includes a wide range of fruits like apples, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and emerging crops like currants and honeyberries. She primarily helps commercial fruit growers increase production quality and consistency, while maintaining plant health, by creating relevant outreach programs and materials. As an extension educator, Madeline primarily teaches at events focused on commercial growers.

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