Effects on Crop Development, Yields and Chemical Composition of Celeriac (Apium graveolens L. var. rapaceum) Cultivated Underneath an Agrivoltaic System

Axel Weselek,Andrea Bauerle,Sabine Zikeli,Petra Högy,Iris Lewandowski

doi:10.3390/agronomy11040733

Axel Weselek, Andrea Bauerle + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040733

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Abstract

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems increase land productivity through the combined production of renewable energy and food. Although several studies have addressed their impact on crop production, many aspects remain unexplored. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of AV on the cultivation of celeriac, a common root vegetable in Central Europe. Celeriac was cultivated in 2017 and 2018 as part of an organically managed on-farm experiment, both underneath an AV system and in full-sun conditions. Under AV, photosynthetic active radiation was reduced by about 30%. Monitoring of crop development showed that in both years, plant height increased significantly under AV. Fresh bulb yield decreased by about 19% in 2017 and increased by about 12% in 2018 in AV, but the changes were not significant. Aboveground biomass increased in both years under AV, but only increased significantly in 2018. As aboveground biomass is a determinant of root biomass at harvest in root vegetables, bulb yields may be further increased by a prolonged vegetation period under AV. Compound analysis of celeriac bulbs did not show any clear effects from treatment. As harvestable yields were not significantly reduced, we concluded that celeriac can be considered a suitable crop for cultivation under AV.

Highlights

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems are currently being implemented in a number of countries as an approach for the dual use of arable land for renewable energy and agricultural production [1,2]
Under AV, photosynthetic active radiation was reduced by about 30% in both years studied
Both crop height and leaf area index increased in response to shaded conditions, leading to significantly higher aboveground biomass in 2018

Summary

Introduction

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems are currently being implemented in a number of countries as an approach for the dual use of arable land for renewable energy and agricultural production [1,2]. Considering the land use conflict between food and energy production, a sustained adequate agricultural yield needs to be guaranteed if AV systems are to be used. This necessitates further field studies on the performance of agricultural crops under AV. Grass-clover has been investigated as a perennial forage crop [9]. These studies have shown that sufficient crop yields can be achieved in the partial shade of the photovoltaic (PV) modules of AV systems, but agricultural yield reductions of up to 20% can occur [8,9,11]. In hot and dry weather conditions, reduced solar radiation and microclimatic alterations under AV (e.g., lower soil [8,9] and air temperatures [9] and potential advantages in water use efficiency [12]) can be beneficial for crop production and lead to increased yields [7,9]

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