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On 6 November 2024 the soybean research plots were harvested at RAREC. In the late afternoon the day prior to harvesting the soybeans, the RAPS Team carefully evaluated how close our small research combine could get the the agrivoltaic panels to harvest in a safe manner.
On the morning of 6 November the agrivoltaic panels were turned off with the emergency switch in each panel row while they were facing due east in their most upright position to keep them from tracking the sun during the day. This allowed the eastern most and center rows between the agrivoltaic panels to be harvested in the morning.
By midday, with the eastern and middle rows harvested. The panels were turned back on where they were allowed to track back into their correct position where they would be for the day. In the mid-afternoon when the panels reached their most upright western facing position the panels were once again turned off to allow for the harvesting of the western most soybean plots between the panels.
In each block, three passes of the combine were done. The center pass was done on center at 17 ft between the array panel rows. One additional pass was done on the eastern (right) and western side (left) of the research plot as close as we could safely get to the panels with the combine. This left about a one foot wide area of soybean on each side.
In total 36 plots of soybeans were harvested. Once all soybeans were harvested they were taken back to the lab for weight and moisture analysis. Samples will be sent to an outside lab for further analysis. Data collected from this trial will be presented at local and regional Extension meetings this winter and upcoming spring.
Articles and images can be used by Permission from the Rutgers RAPS Team only – For Permission contact RAPS at shawn.sorrels@rutgers.edu.
