Andy Wyenandt

Andy Wyenandt

Third year of specialty crops research at RAREC is underway

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This summer marks the third year of specialty crops research in our agrivoltaics system at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center near Bridgeton, NJ. Like the past two years, this summer we are growing fresh-market tomato ‘ Red Deuce’, sicilian eggplant ‘Palermo’, and bell pepper ‘Turnpike’ under a no panel (control), single agrivoltaics (AV) panel, and double AV panels block in southern New Jersey.

The ground for the third year of our specialty crops research trial was prepped on 3 June, with the discing and spading of the plot areas and the application and incorporation of 80 lbs N/acre of 14-4-14 pre-plant fertilizer.

Raised beds formed in the single AV panel block. Note the weather stations can be swung in and out beneath the AV panel rows to allow for our operations.

On 8 June, raised beds consisting on white on black plastic mulch were laid with drip irrigation set off-center prior to transplanting. Note the weather stations (which also run on solar power) positioned out of the way in the panel row.

On 9 June 2026, fresh-market tomato, eggplant, and bell pepper were transplanted for the third year at the RAREC Agrivoltaic (AV) research site near Bridgton, New Jersey. Each AV block (double panel, single panel, or no panel) contains 10 raised beds (55ft long) that were established between three rows of AV panels spaced 34 ft apart and 74 ft long. The southern most area of each block (~10 ft)  were not used in the study because of additional exposure to the sun on the southern most end of each block. Three reps per bed with a plot size of 15 ft in length with a 5 ft break between plots were marked before transplanting either Sicilian eggplant ‘Palermo’, bell pepper ‘Turnpike’, or fresh-market tomato ‘Red Deuce’. Transplants were set in each plot on-center in the white-on-black plastic mulch in a single row with 12″ between the bell pepper plants and 24″ between the fresh-market tomato and eggplant, respectively, using a water wheel transplanter. Two additional plants were transplanted at the end of each plot to fill in the breaks. With the AV panels parked at solar noon we are able to drive the tractor and the transplanter beneath.

Transplanting being done in the no panel (control) block.

This year, Campbell Scientific stations were placed in each of the main blocks to capture the effects of the weather on specialty crop production.

Weather stations were strategically placed in the double AV panel blocks so they would be out of the way as the panels rotated during the day.

Please follow or visit our Blog page for more information on our agrivoltaics specialty crops research at RAREC this summer or during the past two years.

Articles and images can be used by Permission from the Rutgers RAPS Team only – For Permission contact RAPS at agrivoltaics@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Second year of specialty crops research in full swing at RAREC

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Figure 1. An image of a few of the silician eggplants being grown in the specialty crops agrivoltaics study at RAREC in 2025.

The second year of the specialty crops research at RAREC is moving along! Like last year, fresh-market tomato, silician eggplant, and bell peppers are being grown under no panel (control), single agrivoltaic (AV) panels, and double AV panels in southern New Jersey. This year, specialty crop transplanting was done on 11 June 2025 and to date there has been 9 sicilian eggplant ‘Palermo’, 4 bell pepper ‘Turnpike’, and 2 fresh-market tomato ‘Red Deuce’ harvests with all harvested crops being donated directly to local food banks and churches in southern New Jersey with help the Master Gardener Program of Cumberland County, New Jersey.

Figure 2. An image of the specialty crops being grown in the single agrivoltaic panel block at RAREC in the summer of 2025.

Harvesting will continue over the next 5 or 6 weeks with data to be shared at upcoming Extension meetings this winter! Along with the specialty crops research, soybeans have also been planted in two of the agrivoltaics research blocks at RAREC this year!

Figure 3. An image of the soybeans being grown in one of the double panel agrivoltaic blocks at RAREC in 2025.

On September 21, 2025 there will be an event at RAREC near Bridgeton and at the Animal Farm on the campus of Rutgers University celebrating Sun Day! Both events are FREE and will run from 10 AM until noon! Registration is required. For more information on Sun Day please click here.

2024 Agrivoltaics Soybean Harvest at RAREC in Southern New Jersey

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Figure 1. An image of the soybean trial near mid morning at RAREC in 2024. Note: the double AV panel block (closest) with the single AV block (in the background), followed by the control block (no panel) are facing east toward the sun.

In addition to the specialty crops research, members of the RAPS Team are also studied the effects of Agrivoltaic systems on soybean production at RAREC in southern New Jersey in 2024. On Oct 6, 2023,  a rye (variety not stated) cover crop was established at 2 bu./A and terminated on 29 April 2024 with Round-up at 1 qt/A. On June 9, pre-plant fertilizer (14-4-14) at 60 lbs/N per acre was broadcasted and soil was worked prior to soybean seeding. On 11 June, soybeans (AG42XF1, ASGROW) were seeded at a rate of 160,000 seed/A in each of two AV blocks each containing a double panel AV system, single panel AV system, and no panels (the same AV layout as the specialty crop study). On June 12, a pre-emergent herbicide application of Lorox at 1.0 lb/A + Dual Magnum at 1.0 pt/A was applied.

Each block consists of a double panel array, single panel array , and no panel system. Each whole plot contains three rows of AV panels spaced 34 ft apart that are 74 ft long (4,736 total sq. ft). The distance (space) between each whole plot are 34 ft which act as a break. The total area of each block is 272 ft long by 74 ft wide (20,128 sq ft or 0.462 A) (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Layout of the agrivoltaics research field site at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC) in southern New Jersey. Note: the block in the center and to the left above were used for soybean production in 2024. The block to the right was planted in specialty crops in 2024.

Supplemental overhead irrigation was applied regularly to all soybean plots during the production season. As a note, southern New Jersey had one of the driest late summer, early fall periods on record in 2024. On 7 November, all soybeans were harvested by harvesting (e.g. yield) and collecting subsamples (e.g., protein, oil and moisture content) from three different locations in each sub-plot based on their proximity to the solar panel (East side of sub-plot, center of sub-plot, and west side of subplot (Figures 4 and 5) to determine yield, percent moisture, and protein + oil.

Figure 3. An image facing North of the double panel AV block at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC) in 2024. Note: the solar panel arrays are facing west in the mid-afternoon in this image

A pass of the small research combine with a 5 ft head was used to harvest a 65 ft long section on the east, center of, and west side of each sub-plot (Figures 4 and 5).

Figure 4. An image of soybeans being harvested in the double AV panel block where harvesting was done on the east side (left) in the early morning, the center of (mid day), and west side of each sub-plot (not harvested yet) (right).
Figure 5. Soybeans on the west side of each sub-plot were harvested in the late afternoon as the AV panels were facing west.

Significant differences (P = 0.0114) in yield (ton/A) were observed among the three array treatment types (Figure 6). Soybeans growing under the single or double AV panels produced significantly higher yields (ton/acre) compared to the control (no panel) (Figure 6). There was no significant differences in yield between the single and double AV panels (Figure 6). Analysis of the effects of East-West position and distance from the center point between the array panels row detected no significant main effects, nor interactions, in the first year of this study.

Figure 6. Yield of soybeans grown in the control (no panel), single panel AV, or double panel AV system at RAREC in southern New Jersey in 2024.

Protein plus oil content were not significantly different among treatments or for any of the interactions tested in the first year of this study (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Perecent protein + oil of soybeans grown in the control (no panel), double panel AV, or single panel AV system at RAREC in southern New Jersey in 2024.

Soybean moisture content was not significantly different among treatments or any of the interactions tested (Figure 8). On average, the soil moisture content in the control (no panel), single AV, and double AV panel sub-plots was approximately 13% in the first year of this study (Figure 8).

Figure 8. Percent moisture of soybeans grown in the control (no panel), double panel AV, or single panel AV system at RAREC in southern New Jersey in 2024.

The results presented above of the first year of soybean agrivoltaics research at RAREC are preliminary and should not be used to draw any definitive conclusions about the effects of agrivolatiac panels on soybean production, much more research needs to be done.