Agrivoltaics mitigate drought effects in winter wheat

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Renewable Energy Integration
• Climate Change Adaptation

Background:

• Climate change threatens global agricultural water availability.
• Agrivoltaics (AV) systems offer a dual benefit of energy generation and agriculture.
• Previous research indicates AV reduces crop evapotranspiration, potentially increasing water availability, but crop performance impacts are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of agrivoltaics (AV) on winter wheat performance and water use efficiency.
• To utilize carbon-13 isotope composition as a proxy for plant water status and performance over a growing season.
• To evaluate grain yield and interannual yield stability in an AV system compared to a reference site.

Main Methods:

• Field experiment comparing winter wheat cultivated in an AV system and an adjacent reference (REF) site over four growing seasons (2016-2020).
• Analysis of grain yield (t ha⁻¹) and carbon-13 isotopic composition (δ¹³C and discrimination) in wheat grains.
• Statistical comparison of yield and isotopic data between AV and REF conditions.

Main Results:

• Average grain yield did not significantly differ between AV and REF sites (4.7 vs 5.2 t ha⁻¹).
• AV systems demonstrated higher interannual grain yield stability compared to the REF site.
• Significant differences in δ¹³C and carbon-13 isotope discrimination were observed between AV and REF sites, indicating altered water availability and plant water status.

Conclusions:

• Agrivoltaics systems show potential for mitigating drought effects in agricultural production.
• The observed yield stability and isotopic signatures suggest AV enhances crop resilience under water-limited conditions.
• These findings are critical for adapting agricultural practices to increasing drought frequency and severity due to climate change.