DOI: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20261205.13 ISSN: 2469-7885

Agrivoltaic Systems: Effect of Spacing Between Photovoltaic Panels on Yield and Water Productivity of Onions (Allium Cepa L. var. Galmi Purple) in Senegal

Ayaovi Djobo, Lamine Diop, Baboucar Sane
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The integration of agrivoltaic systems into agricultural production has proven to be a way to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, improve the productivity of farmland, and reduce water consumption. In the Niayes region of Senegal, onions remain one of the most widely cultivated crops, but agricultural production in this region relies heavily on fossil fuels. This study, conducted in the village of Kalassane in the northern part of the Niayes region, evaluated the effect of agrivoltaic systems on the agronomic performance of onions. A completely randomized block design was used to test four agrivoltaic configurations: control plots without panels (CT), closely spaced panels (T1), and panels spaced 1.5 and 3 meters apart (T2 and T3, respectively). Analysis of variance revealed no statistically significant differences between treatments (p > 0.05) for any of the variables studied, namely the number of leaves, leaf length, leaf diameter, plant height, bulb diameter, bulb height, bulb weight, yield, and water use efficiency. Nevertheless, numerical variations were observed among the treatments: treatment T3 had the highest values for leaf length (54.37 cm), leaf diameter (1.33 cm), and plant height (61.17 cm) starting at 60 days after planting (DAT), and the lowest values for bulb weight (71.53 g), yield (32.77 t/ha), and water use efficiency (4.2 kg/m 3 ). Conversely, treatment T2 recorded the numerically highest yield (36.37 t/ha) and water use efficiency (4.63 kg/m 3 ), while the control (CT) recorded the highest bulb weight (83.6 g). The absence of a statistically significant reduction in onion agronomic performance under the various configurations tested suggests that agrivoltaic systems can be integrated into onion production in the Niayes region without compromising it, while offering the potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

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