Soil Compaction During the Construction Process of a Vertical Agrivoltaic System

Analysing Vehicle Traffic and Modelling Its Impact on Wheat Yield

Abstract

The construction process of agrivoltaic systems requires intense vehicle traffic and can pose the soil at risk of compaction. Vehicle traffic can reduce soil porosity and negatively impact water infiltration, root penetration, nutrient availability and overall crop productivity [1]. Despite mitigation through tillage and natural processes, compaction can be persistent, particularly below the tillage depth, and result in long-term agricultural challenges [2]. To assess the risk of soil compaction, this study analyzed vehicle traffic during the installation of a 2.4 MW_p vertical agrivoltaic system in the Black Forest region, Germany. Upon completion, soil conditions were assessed in areas exposed to varying traffic intensities. Based on the soil data, wheat growth was simulated from 2016 to 2020 with the simulation framework Expert-N. The areas adjacent to the agrivoltaic system on the shortest way to the storage area were exposed to most vehicle traffic, leading to visible turf damage, increased penetration resistance and a reduction in plant-available water capacity. In comparison to the less trafficked areas, simulated wheat yield was reduced by about 20%. The land loss for the studied vertical system is about 5.8%. Additionally, the total yield was estimated to be reduced by 4.9 to 6.4% due to compaction effects, depending on the reference scenario. While further evaluation with real crop data and long-term assessments are needed, this study provides initial insights into vehicle traffic during the installation of vertical agrivoltaics and its potential impact on soil and crop yield.