Science
Growing Crops in the Shade: Cornell Researchers Advance Efficiency in Agrivoltaic Farming
|
Research conducted by Cornell students and faculty suggest that agrivoltaics is an efficient way to enhance solar farm cooling
The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/crops/)
Research conducted by Cornell students and faculty suggest that agrivoltaics is an efficient way to enhance solar farm cooling
Prof. Emeritus Martha Mutschler-Chu, plant breeding and genetics, has concluded decades of research on tomato plants, developing 20 lines of pest- and disease-resistant breeds.
Teddy asks me, “These are paw-paw trees. Have you ever seen them before?”
“No, but they are super cool. Is it a kind of fruit?” I respond.
“Yes. Native to Kentucky. It grows like it is native to New York. Plant it and it grows. We are going to try to make some paw-paw ice cream.”
This is my introduction to Dilmun Hill Student Farm, a 12-acre student-run farm that has been practicing sustainable agriculture on Cornell University’s campus for more than a decade.
On a daily basis, most of us do not think about the crops that our food comes from. And yet, the importance of commercial crop studies cannot be overstated, especially for human health. Without the crucial genetic mapping resources developed by Prof. Edward Buckler, plant breeding and genetics, these studies would be impossible. As a geneticist at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, Buckler is in a unique position to manage a variety of national resources to lead such studies. These efforts culminated in a Washington, D.C. ceremony in April, where Buckler was awarded the National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agricultural Studies.