4 ms·

I can grow corn on a field covered in solar panels?

montalbano 4y ago
There might be some studies on corn available, although it's not explicitly mentioned in the article. From the article: Researchers are experimenting with which plants do best under solar panels and even trying to grow tomatoes and potatoes between rows at existing utility-scale farms, Macknick says.
- ncmncm 4y ago
  Some pepper varieties get 3x yield in partial shade.
ncmncm 4y ago
"Covered in"? No. Corn, and also wheat, yield less in partial shade. But most crops do not, and benefit both from reduced heat stress and reduced water loss. Livestock, likewise, benefit from shelter, and the grass grows not less, same reasons. When you have all of cultivated land available to site solar in, you can choose places to put it where it is most beneficial. Farm and pasture are not the only places that benefit from shade. Reservoirs and canals lose huge amounts of water to evaporation, and need constantly to fight biofouling. Roofs, too, last longer in shade.
- Scoundreller 4y ago
  Corn and wheat would be a non-starter since you’d partially/entirely lose the scale of mechanically planting/tassle/harvesting. Maybe a specialized tractor could be built to go around the panels but really you’d want to grow laborious crops that are mostly hand-planted/harvested anyway.
  - tstrimple 4y ago
    I don't see what this would have to be the case. You could install the solar panels elevated with support structures wide enough for the harvesters to pass between. That being said, like others have mentioned these crops in particular do like more sun so other crops are likely more suitable. A setup like this (https://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20211004&t=2&i=1576771072&w=780&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXMPEH930I9 https://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20211004&t=2...) would be useful for many types of crops.
  - ncmncm 4y ago
    In a wheat field, you would put the panels in vertical fencerows running north-south, as far apart as the junk you pull behind a tractor. You are not harvesting a very high percentage of insolation, but it doesn't matter because there is plenty of collection area in total. Wheat fields are very big. On wheat you may not want to collect too much of the light anyway, because yield might suffer. Corn is a little harder because it grows so tall. You would need high fencerows, or give up collecting much when the crop gets high. One merit of these systems is that they produce revenue in fallow years and year-round, while the crops only produce revenue in a spike once a year.
danhor 4y ago
Popsci Article says maybe: https://www.farmprogress.com/corn/will-you-grow-corn-under-solar-panels-someday https://www.farmprogress.com/corn/will-you-grow-corn-under-s...
Balero 4y ago
You can't always grow corn on fields not covered by solar panels as well. Just because they stop one thing, they don't stop everything. You can graze sheep and poultry, you can transport water, people, vehicles, you can park your car, or build a building.
- tstrimple 4y ago
  It may even make some crops like grapes perform better. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/solar-panels-help-french-winemaker-keep-climate-change-bay-2021-10-04/ https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/solar-panels-he...
jandrese 4y ago
Corn no, alfalfa yes. But you could install wind turbines in a cornfield with very little disruption to production.

There might be some studies on corn available, although it's not explicitly mentioned in the article. From the article: Researchers are experimenting with which plants do best under solar panels and even trying to grow tomatoes and potatoes between rows at existing utility-scale farms, Macknick says.

ncmncm 4y ago
Some pepper varieties get 3x yield in partial shade.

ncmncm 4y ago

"Covered in"? No. Corn, and also wheat, yield less in partial shade. But most crops do not, and benefit both from reduced heat stress and reduced water loss. Livestock, likewise, benefit from shelter, and the grass grows not less, same reasons. When you have all of cultivated land available to site solar in, you can choose places to put it where it is most beneficial. Farm and pasture are not the only places that benefit from shade. Reservoirs and canals lose huge amounts of water to evaporation, and need constantly to fight biofouling. Roofs, too, last longer in shade.

Scoundreller 4y ago
Corn and wheat would be a non-starter since you’d partially/entirely lose the scale of mechanically planting/tassle/harvesting. Maybe a specialized tractor could be built to go around the panels but really you’d want to grow laborious crops that are mostly hand-planted/harvested anyway.
- tstrimple 4y ago
  I don't see what this would have to be the case. You could install the solar panels elevated with support structures wide enough for the harvesters to pass between. That being said, like others have mentioned these crops in particular do like more sun so other crops are likely more suitable. A setup like this (https://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20211004&t=2&i=1576771072&w=780&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXMPEH930I9 https://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20211004&t=2...) would be useful for many types of crops.
- ncmncm 4y ago
  In a wheat field, you would put the panels in vertical fencerows running north-south, as far apart as the junk you pull behind a tractor. You are not harvesting a very high percentage of insolation, but it doesn't matter because there is plenty of collection area in total. Wheat fields are very big. On wheat you may not want to collect too much of the light anyway, because yield might suffer. Corn is a little harder because it grows so tall. You would need high fencerows, or give up collecting much when the crop gets high. One merit of these systems is that they produce revenue in fallow years and year-round, while the crops only produce revenue in a spike once a year.

danhor 4y ago

Popsci Article says maybe: https://www.farmprogress.com/corn/will-you-grow-corn-under-solar-panels-someday https://www.farmprogress.com/corn/will-you-grow-corn-under-s...

Balero 4y ago

You can't always grow corn on fields not covered by solar panels as well. Just because they stop one thing, they don't stop everything. You can graze sheep and poultry, you can transport water, people, vehicles, you can park your car, or build a building.

tstrimple 4y ago
It may even make some crops like grapes perform better. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/solar-panels-help-french-winemaker-keep-climate-change-bay-2021-10-04/ https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/solar-panels-he...

jandrese 4y ago

Corn no, alfalfa yes. But you could install wind turbines in a cornfield with very little disruption to production.