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EnglishWhat Is VegEdge and What Information Does It Provide?
Updated
VegEdge (vegedge.umn.edu) is a University of Minnesota Extension resource on vegetable crop integrated pest management (IPM), focused on the Midwestern U.S. It is built on more than 25 years of University of Minnesota research projects and is intended to help growers, processors, and crop consultants make better IPM decisions. If you manage or advise on vegetable crops in the Midwest and want timely, objective pest information, this is the site's purpose.
Who runs it and who it's for
VegEdge describes itself as providing "timely, objective information about all aspects of vegetable crop integrated pest management (IPM)." Its stated audience is:
- Growers
- Processors
- Crop consultants
The content is research-based, drawing on University of Minnesota projects accumulated over 25+ years, so it functions as an extension reference rather than a commercial product site.
What you'll find on the site
The homepage highlights several recurring information streams:
Moth Flight Network
Each year VegEdge monitors European corn borer (ECB) and corn earworm (CEW) moth catch across Minnesota. Activity updates are posted on the Weekly Moth Flight page, so you can follow pest flight timing during the season.
Degree-days for Pests
The site calculates degree-days for key insect pests and provides state and region-wide updates throughout the growing season. This supports timing decisions based on pest development rather than calendar dates.
News & Pest Alerts
This section carries time-sensitive posts. Examples from the site include:
| Item | Date | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Vegetable Update | 2024-09-18 | Field observations from IPM Extension Educators Natalie Hoidal and Marissa Schuh, with further reading on the Fruit and Vegetable News site |
| New Winsome Fly fact sheet | 2024-08-13 | A beneficial insect fact sheet published on FruitEdge; Winsome Fly is a biocontrol agent of Japanese beetle now naturally spreading in Minnesota |
| Winsome Fly Citizen Science project | 2024-06-24 | An opportunity to participate in a project led by entomologist Bill Hutchison |
| Spring 2023 FSMA Update | 2023-04-05 | Information on agricultural water for produce growers |
| Tomato Transplants & Bacterial Disease | 2022-04-13 | Bacterial spot, speck, and canker in Minnesota tomatoes, with control beginning during transplant production |
Weekly Vegetable Update
Published weekly during the season by IPM Extension Educators, this summarizes observations in area fields and links to the Fruit and Vegetable News site for the latest findings.
Why sampling matters here
The site's own framing notes that sampling is a key component of IPM because it lets you estimate the population density of a pest or pest complex — illustrated by an image of sampling a commercial cabbage field for Lepidopteran pests. In other words, the tools above (moth counts, degree-days, field updates) are meant to feed into scouting and sampling decisions, not replace them.
When VegEdge is useful to you
- You grow or advise on vegetable crops in the Midwest and need region-specific pest timing.
- You want to track ECB and CEW moth activity in Minnesota.
- You want degree-day updates for key insect pests during the growing season.
- You want periodic field observations and pest alerts rather than a static reference.
If your crops or region fall outside the Midwestern U.S. focus, the pest timing and field updates will be less directly applicable, though the IPM concepts and linked fact sheets may still be useful.