Agrivoltaics is a land efficient sustainable production system that simultaneously produces food and renewable electricity while reducing environmental harm. The simplest method is to partially shade crops with solar photovoltaic panels. Agrivoltaic systems alter microclimates by modifying the quantity and quality of solar radiation reaching crops – acting as sheilding — and are a multi-billion dollar year industry. Yet limited research has examined agrivoltaic effects for root vegetables. A new study investigates the influences of photovoltaic module type, transparency, and spectral properties on radiation transmission, photosynthetically active radiation, and turnip (rutabaga) yield. Turnips are most famously used in traditional Scottish Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, where mashed yellow turnips (often called neeps) are served alongside haggis and potatoes. Turnips are also one of the main ingredients of traditional Cornish pasties, which are the old miners’ favorite treat in the UP of Michigan. It turns out that besides tasting good, turnips are good for you. Turnips are a nutrient-dense root vegetable that offer significant health benefits, primarily due to their high fiber, vitamin C, and glucosinolate content. Regular consumption of turnips supports digestive health by promoting bowel regularity and feeding beneficial gut bacteria, while their potassium and fiber levels contribute to cardiovascular health by regulating blood pressure and lowering cholesterol.

What Does Solar Shading do to Turnips?

This is the first known study globally to investigate agrivoltaic production of turnips. Thirteen solar module treatments, including wafer-based crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) at multiple transparency levels, were tested under outdoor conditions in southern Ontario.

Results of the study show that crop performance depended strongly on both the shading pattern and light spectrum. Thin-film CdTe modules, which provide uniform shading, optimized yield at 50–60% transparency. On the other hand, c-Si modules with non-uniform shading patterns, which are a lot like tree leaf shading, performed best at 8% transparency. In both cases, fresh turnip biomass increased up to threefold compared to full-sun controls, underscoring the role of moderated radiation and improved microclimate in alleviating heat and light stress. Remember this is Canada, not exactly known for having too much sun and heat. The results for turnips would be expected to be better in drier and hotter locations.

Light Color from Solar Panels Impacted Turnip Yield

Spectral effects were also evident: modules enhancing blue light transmission promoted leaf biomass, whereas green-shifted spectra suppressed root development. This is a preliminary study with a lot of future optimization and large scale validation to do – but the results show a lot of promise. If you extrapolate to national scale suggests agrivoltaic adoption in Canada could generate CAD$33.93B in agricultural revenue and CAD$1.98B in solar electricity sales over 25 years, while reducing over one million tonnes of carbon emissions.

This work highlights how solar panel transparency and spectral transmission fundamentally shape crop-atmosphere interactions in agrivoltaic systems, with implications for climate-resilient food production and dual land-use strategies. The global market for carrots and turnips was valued at $52.05 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $74.72 billion by 2033. It looks like solar panels will help turnip farmers get to those numbers. The future of agriculture looks a wee bit solar shady.