On-farm agrivoltaic impacts on main crop yield: the roles of shade avoidance, cultivation practices, and varieties
Abstract
Agrivoltaic systems, which integrate agricultural production with photovoltaic energy generation on the same land, have garnered increasing attention for their dual-use potential. Despite the potential, few studies have addressed the variability in yield responses of major staple crops in agrivoltaic systems and morphological and physiological traits underlying this variability. This study investigated the yield performances and shade avoidance responses of three key staple crops in Asia, namely rice, soybean, and sweet potato, and five cultivars of sweet potato in agrivoltaic systems. We also assessed the influence of cultivation management practices, such as cultivar selection, weed control, and micronutrient fertilization, using organically grown sweet potato as a case study. Field experiments for rice, soybean, and sweet potato were conducted in 2024, while organic sweet potato experiments were carried out in 2023–2024; in 2023, four cultivars and three weed control timings were tested; in 2024, five cultivars and micronutrient fertilization treatments were evaluated. The data are the results of all the field experiments analyzed in the paper and microclimate data collected by sensors in the study sites. The file names of data correspond to Table S1 and details of the statistical analysis using this data set can be found in Table S2.
We have submitted our raw experimental results and microclimate data from the study sites.
File Overview
- "rice.csv", "soybean.csv", "conventional_sweetpotato.csv", "organic_sweetpotato2023.csv", and "organic_sweetpotato2024.csv" are the results of rice, soybean, conventional sweet potato, and organic sweet potato (2023 and 2024) experiments in agrivoltaic system (AVS) and control fields, respectively.
- "microclimate_rice_AVS.csv" and "microclimate_soybean_AVS.csv" are the microclimate data of rice and soybean agrivoltaic system (AVS) fields, respectively.
- "microclimate_rice_control.csv" and "microclimate_soybean_control.csv" are the microclimate data of rice and soybean control fields, respectively.
- "microclimate_water_rice_AVS.csv" and "microclimate_water_rice_control.csv" are the water-related microclimate data of rice agrivoltaic system (AVS) and control fields, respectively.
- "microclimate_sweet_potato_31%shading.csv" and "microclimate_sweet_potato_49%shading.csv" are the microclimate data of conventional sweet potato agrivoltaic system (AVS) fields with 31% and 49% shading, respectively.
- "microclimate_sweet_potato_control.csv" is the microclimate data of the conventional sweet potato control field.
Description of the data and file structure
The "data.zip" file includes the results of all the field experiments analyzed in the paper and microclimate data collected by sensors in the study sites. The filenames of the data correspond to Table S1 and details of the statistical analysis using this dataset can be found in Table S2 of the paper.
"rice.csv", "soybean.csv", "conventional_sweetpotato.csv", "organic_sweetpotato2023.csv", and "organic_sweetpotato2024.csv" are the results of rice, soybean, conventional sweet potato, and organic sweet potato in 2023 and 2024 experiments, respectively.
rice.csv
- plot: Identification number of the sampling plot
- panel: Plots are in the control without photovoltaic panels (Control) or under an agrivoltaic system (AVS)
- id: Identification number of the plant within the plot
- height (cm): Stem height of plants (cm)
- aboveground_biomass: Weight of aboveground biomass (g)
- panicle (m-2): Number of panicles per square meter
- spikelets (panicle -1): Number of spikelets per panicle
- filled_grain (%): Percentage of filled grain per total grains (%)
- 1000-grain weight: Weight of 1000 grains (g)
- yield (kg/10a): Grain yield (kg/10a)
- crude_protein_content: Weight of crude protein content per total grain weight (g/100g)
- null: not applicable data
soybean.csv
- plot: Identification number of the sampling plot
- treatment: Plots are in the control without photovoltaic panels (Control) or under an agrivoltaic system (AVS)
- location: Plots are in the south or north of the field
- ridge: Identification number of the ridge
- aboveground_biomass: Weight of aboveground biomass (g)
- 100seed_weight: Weight of 100 seeds (g)
- yield : Seed yield (kg/10a)
- height : Stem height of plants (cm)
- diameter_main_stem: Diameter of the main stem (cm)
- number_branch: Number of branches
- Node_per_plant: Number of nodes per plant
- pod_per_plant: Number of pods per plant
- seed_per_plant: Number of seeds per plant
- filled_pod (%): Percentage of filled pods per total pods (%)
- protein_content: Weight of crude protein content per total seed weight (g/100g)
- fat_content: Weight of fat content per total seed weight (g/100g)
- sugar_content: Weight of sugar content per total seed weight (g/100g)
conventional_sweetpotato.csv
- Days after planting: Days after planting (days)
- shading: Shading rate in the field (%). 0% is the control field without photovoltaic panels.
- ridge: Identification number of ridge
- Vine length: Length of vine (cm)
- Number of branch: Number of branches
- Underground weight: Weight of the underground part of the sweet potato (g)
- Number of tube: Number of tubers
- T/R ratio: Top to root ratio
- Aboveground weight: Weight of the aboveground part of the sweet potato (g)
- Tuber weight: Weight of tubers per plant (g)
organic_sweetpotato2023.csv
- Treatment: Plots are in the control without photovoltaic panels (Control) or under an agrivoltaic system (AVS)
- Ridge: Identification of the ridge
- Variety: Variety of sweet potato
- Weeding: Three weed control timings in 30 cm on each side of the rows. '25%' refers to the first weeding conducted when weeds covered 25% of the side. '50%' shows that the first weeding was performed after weeds covered 50% of the side, while '100%' denotes that the first weeding was carried out after weeds covered 100% of the side.
- Vine length: Length of vine (cm)
- Number of branch: Number of branches
- Aboveground weight: Weight of the aboveground part of the sweet potato (g)
- Tuber weight: Weight of tubers per plant (g)
- Underground weight: Weight of the underground part of the sweet potato (g)
- Number of tube: Number of tubers
- T/R ratio: Top to root ratio
- null: not applicable data
organic_sweetpotato2024.csv
- Treatment: Plots are in the control without photovoltaic panels (Control) or under an agrivoltaic system (AVS)
- Ridge: Identification number of the ridge
- Plot: Identification number of the sampling plot
- variety: Variety of sweet potato
- Fertilizer: Organic fertilizers were applied ('Treated') or not applied ('Untreated')
- Vine length: Length of vine (cm)
- Number of branch: Number of branches
- Aboveground weight: Weight of the aboveground part of the sweet potato (g)
- Tuber weight: Weight of tubers per plant (g)
- Underground weight: Weight of the underground part of the sweet potato (g)
- Number of tube: Number of tubers
- T/R ratio: Top to root ratio
- null: not applicable data
"microclimate_rice_AVS.csv" and "microclimate_soybean_AVS.csv" are the microclimate data of rice and soybean agrivoltaic system (AVS) fields, respectively.
"microclimate_rice_control.csv" and "microclimate_soybean_control.csv" are the microclimate data of rice and soybean control fields, respectively.
The variables of these four data files are the same:
microclimate_rice_AVS.csv, microclimate_soybean_AVS.csv, microclimate_rice_control.csv, microclimate_soybean_control.csv
- Date: Date on which microclimate data was collected
- Time: Time at which microclimate data was collected
- Air temperature (℃): Measured air temperature (℃)
- Humidity (%): Measured Humidity (%)
- Luminosity (lx): Measured Luminosity (lx)
- Precipitation per every 5 minutes (mm): Measured precipitation per every 5 minutes (mm)
- Precipitation per every 1 hour (mm): Measured precipitation per every 1 hour (mm)
- Wind speed (m/s): Measured wind speed(m/s)
- Wind direction: Measured wind direction
- Air pressure (hPa): Measured air pressure (hPa)
"microclimate_water_rice_AVS.csv" and "microclimate_water_rice_control.csv" are the water-related microclimate data of rice agrivoltaic system (AVS) and control fields, respectively.
The variables of these two data files are the same:
microclimate_water_rice_AVS.csv, microclimate_water_rice_control.csv
- Date: Date on which microclimate data was collected
- Time: Time at which microclimate data was collected
- Water level (cm): Measured water level (cm)
- Water temperature (℃): Measured water temperature (℃)
"microclimate_sweet_potato_31%shading.csv" and "microclimate_sweet_potato_49%shading.csv" are the microclimate data of conventional sweet potato agrivoltaic system (AVS) fields with 31% and 49% shading, respectively.
"microclimate_sweet_potato_control.csv" is the microclimate data of the conventional sweet potato control field.
The variables of these three data files are the same:
microclimate_sweet_potato_31%shading.csv, microclimate_sweet_potato_49%shading.csv, microclimate_sweet_potato_control.csv
- Year: Year in which microclimate data was collected
- Month: Month in which microclimate data was collected
- Day: Day on which microclimate data was collected
- Date Time: Date on which microclimate data was collected
- Temperature (℃): Measured air temperature (℃)
- Soil temperature (℃): Measured soil temperature (℃)
- Soil water content (%): Measured soil water content (%)
- Luminosity (Lx): Measured luminosity in the air (Lx)
- Electrical conductance: Measured electrical conductivity (mS/cm)