UA Agrivoltaics Research Spotlighted in Megadrought Resilience Story

The desert outside of Tucson is harshly lit by late afternoon sunlight, which seems to flatten everything, including the soil, shrubs, and even the air. Here, farmers have come to distrust the sky. Rain either doesn’t come at all or comes in late. The Colorado River, which was formerly regarded as an unending supply of water, now seems vulnerable. The old agricultural model—industrial irrigation, thirsty crops, never-ending pumping—may just be running out of steam, as is quietly acknowledged in conversations throughout Arizona’s farm country.

According to Greg Barron-Gafford, a researcher at the University of Arizona who studies these systems, the objective is to adapt traditional knowledge to contemporary circumstances. Electricity is generated by the panels. Crop survival is aided by the shade. Farming in the Southwest may resemble its distant past in an odd way in the future.

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Check out Dr. Gred Barron-Gafford's team!