NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY IS ESTABLISHING AN AGRIVOLTAICS RESEARCH PROGRAM TO EXPLORE AGRONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS AND BENEFITS AT THE CONFLUENCE BETWEEN SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION AND AGRICULTURE, WITH AN OVERARCHING GOAL OF MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS WHILE PROVIDING CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AND DIVERSIFIED INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR FARMERS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. NMSU AGRIVOLTAICS RESEARCH WILL IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE YIELD, SHADE AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL, RAINFALL HARVESTING, WATER USE EFFICIENCY, DISEASE REDUCTION, AND POLLINATOR ACTIVITY, WHILE GENERATING CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY. TO MAKE THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM POSSIBLE, THIS PROJECT OBJECTIVE IS TO CONSTRUCT THREE AGRIVOLTAICS RESEARCH SITES AND INSTRUMENT THESE SITES TO ENABLE FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH TO MINIMIZE THE AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN NEW MEXICO AND THE ARID AND SEMI-ARID SOUTHWEST US, WHILE INCREASING THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS OF CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY.