Sharing the Sun: Soybean Yield, Quality, and Physiological Responses to Agrivoltaic Systems in New York State
Behlman, E.. 2026.
Abstract
In New York State, ambitious renewable energy policies are increasingly intersecting with
agricultural land use. The expansion of photovoltaic (PV) energy generation has led to concerns
about displacing cropland and potential adverse impacts on rural communities. In light of these
tensions, agrivoltaic (AV) systems, which combine solar energy generation with agricultural
production on the same land, have been proposed as a potential strategy aimed to mitigate land
use conflict while enhancing landscape resilience. While agrivoltaics have demonstrated
advantages in arid environments, potential benefits in humid environments such as New York are
less clear, and few studies have examined the underlying physiological mechanisms driving
yields in these systems. This study evaluates the yield, seed quality, and physiological responses
of soybean (Glycine max (L.)) grown in a utility-scale solar facility in upstate New York with the
goal of assessing the feasibility of AV soybean production in this region and identifying the
mechanisms underlying yields to inform management decisions. Overall, yield penalties under
AV treatments were substantial, averaging 33% across both sites evaluated. This was primarily
driven by a reduction in the number of pods per plant. Crucially, though, AV soybeans were still
able to maintain adequate nutritional quality and exhibited a marginal increase in protein content.
Additionally, under AV conditions, soybean exhibited shade-adaptive responses. First, AV plants
developed thinner leaves, maximizing light capture. Second, AV plants allocated a relatively
higher proportion of biomass to stems and roots rather than to pods (although the latter result was
not significant), prioritizing resource acquisition over reproductive output. Further studies are
needed to determine whether yields can be bolstered by applying different agricultural
management practices, selecting more shade-tolerant varieties, or by use of more
agriculturally-oriented facility designs.
