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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOR EARLY SEASON CROPS, INCLUDING PEACH, NECTARINE, APRICOT, PLUM, AND CHERRY, WHICH CAN BE HARVESTED BY JUNE EACH YEAR, THE PEAK WATER USE IN SUMMER AFTER HARVEST CAN ACCOUNT FOR 45% OF THE ANNUAL CROP USE. THEREFORE, THERE IS GREAT POTENTIAL TO ADOPT TRANSFORMATIVE WATER SAVING TECHNOLOGIES FOR SIGNIFICANT IRRIGATION WATER SAVING DURING THE POST-HARVEST (NON-FRUIT BEARING) SEASON WITHOUT NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE FRUIT YIELD IN THE NEXT YEAR. WITH PRECISION WATER IRRIGATION, WATER IS MAINLY LOST THROUGH EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (ET) DRIVEN BY SOLAR ENERGY IF WATER RUNOFF AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE ARE NEGLIGIBLE. BASED ON THE MODIFIED PENMAN-MONTEITH MODEL FOR ET, WE PREDICT THAT THE DAILY ET CAN BE REDUCED FROM 3.5MM TO 1.05 MM IF SUNLIGHT IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED SO THAT THE PEAK ET IS SHUT DOWN FOR 5 HOURS FROM 11:00 TO 16:00. THIS MEANS 70% WATER SAVING IN THE POST-HARVEST SEASON. WITH MORE CONSERVATIVE PREDICTION, THE DAILY ET CAN BE REDUCED TO 50% IF SUNLIGHT IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED FOR THREE HOURS FROM 12:00 TO 15:00. THEREFORE, THE CONTROL OF SUNSHINE ON CROPS PROVIDES A TRANSFORMATIVE METHOD FOR IRRIGATION WATER SAVING, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN EXPLORED BEFORE. THE RESEARCH GOAL OF THIS SEED RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO PROVE AN EXTRAORDINARY NOVEL CONCEPT TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT (POSSIBLY OVER 50%) IRRIGATION WATER SAVING BY DEVELOPING A TRANSFORMATIVE RETRACTABLE AGRIVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGY. THIS PROJECT GOAL WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH TWO MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES: A) TO DETERMINE IRRIGATION WATER SAVING BY MEASURE REAL-TIME ET OF POTTED PEACH TREES WITH A FLEXIBLE CONTROLLED SHADING; AND B) TO PREDICT WATER SAVING IN PEACH ORCHARDS IN POSTHARVEST SEASON WITH AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEMS. THE RESULTS OF THE SEED GRANT WILL NOT ONLY PROVE THE CONCEPT OF A TRANSFORMATIVE IRRIGATION WATER SAVING TECHNOLOGY USING A RETRACTABLE AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEM, BUT ALSO ALL US TO BECOME COMPETITIVE TO USE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE FUNDING APPLICATION.

$199,984FY2020National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

University Of California, Merced, Merced CA

Investigators

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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOR EARLY SEASON CROPS, INCLUDING PEACH, NECTARINE, APRICOT, PLUM, AND CHERRY, WHICH CAN BE HARVESTED BY JUNE EACH YEAR, THE PEAK WATER USE IN SUMMER AFTER HARVEST CAN ACCOUNT FOR 45% OF THE ANNUAL CROP USE. THEREFORE, THERE IS GREAT POTENTIAL TO ADOPT TRANSFORMATIVE WATER SAVING TECHNOLOGIES FOR SIGNIFICANT IRRIGATION WATER SAVING DURING THE POST-HARVEST (NON-FRUIT BEARING) SEASON WITHOUT NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE FRUIT YIELD IN THE NEXT YEAR. WITH PRECISION WATER IRRIGATION, WATER IS MAINLY LOST THROUGH EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (ET) DRIVEN BY SOLAR ENERGY IF WATER RUNOFF AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE ARE NEGLIGIBLE. BASED ON THE MODIFIED PENMAN-MONTEITH MODEL FOR ET, WE PREDICT THAT THE DAILY ET CAN BE REDUCED FROM 3.5MM TO 1.05 MM IF SUNLIGHT IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED SO THAT THE PEAK ET IS SHUT DOWN FOR 5 HOURS FROM 11:00 TO 16:00. THIS MEANS 70% WATER SAVING IN THE POST-HARVEST SEASON. WITH MORE CONSERVATIVE PREDICTION, THE DAILY ET CAN BE REDUCED TO 50% IF SUNLIGHT IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED FOR THREE HOURS FROM 12:00 TO 15:00. THEREFORE, THE CONTROL OF SUNSHINE ON CROPS PROVIDES A TRANSFORMATIVE METHOD FOR IRRIGATION WATER SAVING, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN EXPLORED BEFORE. THE RESEARCH GOAL OF THIS SEED RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO PROVE AN EXTRAORDINARY NOVEL CONCEPT TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT (POSSIBLY OVER 50%) IRRIGATION WATER SAVING BY DEVELOPING A TRANSFORMATIVE RETRACTABLE AGRIVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGY. THIS PROJECT GOAL WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH TWO MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES: A) TO DETERMINE IRRIGATION WATER SAVING BY MEASURE REAL-TIME ET OF POTTED PEACH TREES WITH A FLEXIBLE CONTROLLED SHADING; AND B) TO PREDICT WATER SAVING IN PEACH ORCHARDS IN POSTHARVEST SEASON WITH AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEMS. THE RESULTS OF THE SEED GRANT WILL NOT ONLY PROVE THE CONCEPT OF A TRANSFORMATIVE IRRIGATION WATER SAVING TECHNOLOGY USING A RETRACTABLE AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEM, BUT ALSO ALL US TO BECOME COMPETITIVE TO USE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE FUNDING APPLICATION. · GrantIndex