Agri-Photovoltaics & Water Management

The EIP-Agri research project with the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, the Lettenbichler Cultivation Community, Andreas Barge and Steinicke Haus der Hochlandgewürze GmbH on the subject of “Productivity and Sustainability in Agriculture” started in May 2022. The project contributes to the further development of competitive arable farming. Specifically, it is about water management and microclimate under an agri-photovoltaic system.

Methods for sustainable water management and water cycles are compared and optimized in order to create the conditions for minimizing water consumption even during dry periods. The physical protection and partial shading of the cultivation area by the agri-photovoltaic system, as well as with the help of a comprehensive network of sensors, should enable needs-based irrigation. In addition, erosion should be reduced and the runoff of nutrient-rich soil into adjacent water bodies minimized. A highly topical issue in view of the progressing climate change