College of Agriculture, Al-Qasim Green University discussed a Ph.D. thesis on water productivity and potato yield under photovoltaic agriculture and drip irrigation by the postgraduate student, Ms. Israa Mohammed Talib.

The thesis aimed at studying the impact and benefits of cultivation under solar panels on potato yield growth at 35% and 50% water depletion rates and the effect of cultivation under solar panels on potassium availability.

The thesis highlighted that dual land use, including agricultural production and electricity generation, leads to increased land and water efficiency and the adoption of photovoltaic agriculture as a means of agricultural production and sustainable electricity generation in desert areas, besides photovoltaic agriculture can be used with other plants, such as peppers and tomatoes, which are less sensitive to light.

The thesis recommended establishing these projects in open areas to achieve food security and reduce reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation, as well as planting a summer crop of potatoes to provide shade and reduce direct sunlight on the plants and using specialized computer programs to design drip irrigation systems.