I think the idea is to use this on the handful of crops that prefer the shade. Think small artisanal alfalfa farms with minimal mechanization. But all in all

I think the idea is to use this on the handful of crops that prefer the shade. Think small artisanal alfalfa farms with minimal mechanization. But all in all I agree that it adds considerable complication for little gain. At least in the US we are in zero danger of installing so many solar panels that there is not enough acres left for food. That kind of concern is orders of magnitude away from reality. Especially if you start displacing corn-for-ethanol acres with solar panels used to charge electric vehicles. In that case you actually increase the available acreage for food crops because the solar panels are so much more efficient than corn ethanol.