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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

The Interactions Between Shading and Organic Fertilizer Application on Dry-farmed Tomato Grown Between Photovoltaic Panels

Agrivoltaic systems are mixed systems of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and agricultural production, where shade from the panels can result in lower evapotranspiration for crops, which is of particular interest for dryland agriculture. Dry-farmed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production in the Willamette Valley of Oregon has lower total yields and higher rates of blossom-end rot (BER) than irrigated tomato production, resulting in reduced marketable yields. To determine how dry-farmed ‘Early Girl’ tomato performed in an agrivoltaics system, a trial was conducted at the Valley Creek Solar Project (Salem, OR, USA) in 2020, using three different amendment treatments and three levels of shading from the panels. Amendment treatments were 0N (receiving no fertilizer), 84N (receiving 84 kg·ha −1 N), and 168N (receiving 168 kg·ha −1 N), applied as processed chicken manure. Plants were estimated to receive an irradiance factor of 30%, 76%, and 89% for full-shade, partial-shade, and full-sun treatments respectively. There was an interaction between amendment treatments and shading treatments in their effects on unblemished yield (yield of fruit without BER or sunscald). The optimum fertilizer application for full-shade and partial-shade rows was 84N, the optimum for full-sun rows was 0N. Fertilizing these rows at these rates resulted in an unblemished yield for the aisle of 11.1 t·ha −1 , which was lower than unblemished yields reported in previous experiments and trials in open fields. However, these results are from a single location and a single year, and other solar sites may behave more similar to open-field conditions. Shading from the panels increased average fruit weight and decreased incidence of BER and sunscald, suggesting that crops were less drought stressed. This resulted in similar unblemished yields for the full-shade and full-sun plots at 84N and 168N. Applying fertilizer resulted in higher total yields, smaller average fruit weight, increased BER incidence, and decreased sunscald incidence. The results suggest a possible synergy between dry-farmed tomato production and agrivoltaics, although several concerns remain, including difficulties managing the vegetation under panels, rules restricting PVs on high-value agricultural soils, and the possibility of soil compaction during PV installation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

AmeriFlux US-VT2 Vermillion Tributary Paired Cropland – Site 2 (Corn/Soy; Cover Crops)

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-VT2 Vermillion Tributary Paired Cropland – Site 2 (Corn/Soy; Cover Crops). Site Description - US-VT2 is located on flat, actively managed farmland operated by working farmers, following a conventional no-till corn–soybean rotation in the U.S. Midwest that uses cover crops. US-VT2 is one of two paired working farm sites on the same property; both are managed using similar conventional practices, with the key difference being that the paired site (US-VT1) does not incorporate cover crops into its rotation. This paired design enables direct site-to-site comparisons to assess the impacts of cover cropping on carbon, water, and energy fluxes.

Key, Kesondra [Indiana University - Bloomington]↗
DOE OSTI2026

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-VT2 Vermillion Tributary Paired Cropland – Site 2 (Corn/Soy; Cover Crops)

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-VT2 Vermillion Tributary Paired Cropland – Site 2 (Corn/Soy; Cover Crops). This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-VT2 Vermillion Tributary Paired Cropland – Site 2 (Corn/Soy; Cover Crops) produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - US-VT2 is located on flat, actively managed farmland operated by working farmers, following a conventional no-till corn–soybean rotation in the U.S. Midwest that uses cover crops. US-VT2 is one of two paired working farm sites on the same property; both are managed using similar conventional practices, with the key difference being that the paired site (US-VT1) does not incorporate cover crops into its rotation. This paired design enables direct site-to-site comparisons to assess the impacts of cover cropping on carbon, water, and energy fluxes.

Key, Kesondra [Indiana University - Bloomington]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Data for Aboveground rather than belowground productivity drives variability in Miscanthus x giganteus net primary productivity

This dataset contains the data used for the publication “Aboveground rather than belowground productivity drives variability in Miscanthus x giganteus net primary productivity”. This dataset contains Miscanthus x giganteus biomass, carbon, and nitrogen tissue data for aboveground and belowground plant parts collected in 2021 for three different sites in Iowa with three different nitrogen application rates. Data at the Iowa sites were collected via biometric hand harvesting, belowground excavations, and soil coring both in-clump and beside-clump. Data were collected at two collection timepoints to calculate the contributions of belowground parts to Miscanthus x giganteus net primary productivity. This dataset also includes Miscanthus x giganteus and Switchgrass soil coring and excavation data collected in 2012 at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Energy Farm.

Belowground Biomass↗
DOE OSTI2021

UAV-based multispectral time-series imagery of biomass sorghum - 2019

UAV-based high-resolution multispectral time-series orthophotos utilized to understand the relation between growth dynamics, imagery temporal resolution, and end-of-season biomass productivity of biomass sorghum as bioenergy crop. Sensor utilized is a RedEdge Micasense flown at 40 meters above ground level at the Energy Farm- UIUC in 2019.

Bioenergy crops↗
DOE OSTI2022

A multi-product landscape life-cycle assessment approach for evaluating local climate mitigation potential

Increasing demand for land-based climate mitigation requires more efficient management of agricultural landscapes for competing objectives. Here we develop methods for assessing trade-offs and synergies between intensification and carbon-sequestering conservation measures in annual crop production landscapes using the DayCent ecosystem model and the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) life-cycle assessment (LCA) model. We compiled county-scaled crop yields, fertilizer application rates, and tillage intensity for a corn–soybean farming case study landscape in the US state of Iowa. Using DayCent, we estimated a baseline soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual rate of 0.29 Mg C ha -1 y -1 driven by historical increases in crop productivity and reductions in tillage intensity. We then simulated the effects of management interventions targeted toward intensification (stover removal) and SOC sequestration (tillage intensity reduction and winter cover crop addition) individually and in combination. We propose a new multi-product landscape–LCA approach that analyzes marginal changes in corn grain, corn stover, and soybean production from the landscape in terms of their value for biofuel production (corn ethanol, soy biodiesel, and cellulosic ethanol from stover) and associated net displacement of conventional fossil-derived fuel use. This enables us to evaluate both intensification and sequestration effects in common CO 2 -equivalent mitigation units. We also used DayCent-simulated yields under the different land management scenarios to estimate farm-level costs and revenues. Our results show that intensification via collecting 30% of corn stover for biofuel production would increase the total greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential of this landscape by 0.93 Mg CO 2 e ha -1 y -1 and provide $49 ha -1 y -1 of additional net revenue from biomass sales, but would reduce the baseline SOC accumulation rate by approximately 40%. In contrast, integrated approaches that include co-adoption of winter cover cropping and/or tillage intensity reduction would result in increased rates of SOC accumulation above the baseline, achieving simultaneous improvements in both farm profits and the overall GHG mitigation potential of the landscape.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

AmeriFlux US-IAM Iowa State University Miscanthus

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-IAM Iowa State University Miscanthus. Site Description - This is a 4 ha (200 m x 200 m) Miscanthus established at the Sustainable Advanced Bioeconomy Research (SABR) farm at Iowa State University. The site has a long history of conventional row-cropping, predominantly corn-soy rotations. In the immediately preceding growing season, soybeans were grown at the SABR farm.

(Rojda), Guler Aslan Sungur↗
DOE OSTI2025

AmeriFlux US-IAC Iowa State University SE tower

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-IAC Iowa State University SE tower. Site Description - This is a 4 ha (200 m x 200 m) sorghum-corn-soybean rotation established at the Sustainable Advanced Bioeconomy Research (SABR) farm at Iowa State University. The site has a long history of conventional row-cropping, predominantly corn-soy rotations. In the immediately preceding growing season, soybeans were grown at the SABR farm.

(Rojda), Guler Aslan Sungur↗
DOE OSTI2026

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-IAM Iowa State University Miscanthus

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-IAM Iowa State University Miscanthus. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-IAM Iowa State University Miscanthus produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This is a 4 ha (200 m x 200 m) Miscanthus established at the Sustainable Advanced Bioeconomy Research (SABR) farm at Iowa State University. The site has a long history of conventional row-cropping, predominantly corn-soy rotations. In the immediately preceding growing season, soybeans were grown at the SABR farm.

(Rojda), Guler Aslan Sungur↗
DOE OSTI2026

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-IAC Iowa State University SE tower

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-IAC Iowa State University SE tower. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-IAC Iowa State University SE tower produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This is a 4 ha (200 m x 200 m) sorghum-corn-soybean rotation established at the Sustainable Advanced Bioeconomy Research (SABR) farm at Iowa State University. The site has a long history of conventional row-cropping, predominantly corn-soy rotations. In the immediately preceding growing season, soybeans were grown at the SABR farm.

(Rojda), Guler Aslan Sungur↗
DOE OSTI2024

Biomass yield potential, feedstock quality, and nutrient removal of perennial buffer strips under continuous zero fertilizer application

Perennial-based buffer strips have been promoted as having the potential for improving ecosystem services from riparian areas while producing biomass as livestock feed or as a bioenergy feedstock. Both biomass production and nutrient removal of buffer strips are substantially influenced by the vegetation types for the multipurpose perennial buffers. In this 2016–2019 study in western Illinois, two perennial cropping systems, including forage crops composed of cool-season grass mixtures (forage system) and bioenergy crops made up of warm-season grass mixtures (bioenergy system), were used to establish buffer strips for assessing biomass production, feedstock quality, nutrient removal, and buffer longevity. Treatments for this study reflecting agronomic practices included (1) two harvests occurring in summer (at anthesis) and fall (after complete senescence) and (2) one harvest in fall for the forage system (two-cut vs. one-cut forage) and (3) one fall harvest for the bioenergy system (one-cut bioenergy). Successively harvesting without any fertilizer input resulted in a yield decline in forage biomass over 3 years by approximately 30 % (6.3 to 4.4 Mg DM ha –1 (dry matter) with a rate of 1.0 Mg ha –1 yr –1 ) in the two-cut forage and by 35 % (4.9 to 3.2 Mg DM ha –1 with a rate of 0.9 Mg ha –1 yr –1 ) in the one-cut forage systems. The feed quality also decreased over the years by showing declined rates of 12.9 (crucial protein), 0.9 (calcium), 0.7 (copper), and 1.3 g kg –1 DM yr –1 (zinc). Empirical models predicted enteric CH 4 emissions from cattle ranged from 225.7 to 242.6 g per cow per day based on the feed nutritive values. In contrast, bioenergy biomass yield increased by 27 % from 4.9 to 6.7 Mg DM ha –1 with a consistent quality (cellulose of ~ 397.9 g kg –1 ; hemicellulose of ~ 299.4 g kg –1 ), corresponding to the increased total theoretical ethanol yield from 1.8 × 10 3 to 2.4 × 10 3 L ha –1 (~ 33 % increase). Annual nutrient removals of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were significantly higher in the forage systems (e.g., two-cut: 52.6–106.9 kg N ha –1 ; one-cut: 44.5–84.1 kg N ha –1 ) than those in the bioenergy system (e.g., 25.9–34.4 kg N ha –1 ); however, the removal rate declined rapidly over 3 years (e.g., ~ 49 % reduction) as the annual biomass yield declined in the forage systems. This on-farm field study demonstrated the potential of the perennial crop used as buffer strip options for biomass production and buffer sustainability at the edge of the field.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Crop diversification improves water-use efficiency and regional water sustainability

As global water scarcity intensifies, identifying agricultural practices that enhance sustainable water management is critical. Temporal crop diversification-rotating multiple species over time-has been proposed to improve soil health and water retention based on field-scale experiments. However, widespread adoption remains limited on farms, in part due to unverified benefits at larger scales. Here, we assess the influence of crop diversification on agricultural water-use efficiency (WUE, ratio of gross primary productivity to evapotranspiration) along a spectrum of monoculture to complex species rotations in California. Leveraging new high-resolution remote sensing datasets, we show that crop diversification is a key driver of agricultural WUE, and increasing the number of species planted in the previous 6 years from two to four increases WUE by ∼20% after accounting for differences between crops. Our results provide spatially explicit, large-scale quantification of crop diversification’s improvements to WUE, with direct implications for climate adaptation. More broadly, our framework offers a tool to evaluate other sustainable practices and guide policy and farm-scale decision-making.

climate-resilient agriculture↗
DOE OSTI2025

JGI Plant Transformation Workshop, May 20-21, 2025

Domestic biomass crops such as sorghum, switchgrass, Miscanthus, and poplar can provide United States industries with renewable feedstocks while also supporting low-input farming systems and strengthening supply chains for biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials. The U.S. leads globally in biomass crop genomics, yet progress in engineering traits is constrained by slow, genotype-dependent transformation methods and lengthy Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycles. At a May 2025 workshop, a panel of experts recommended establishing a DOE Plant Transformation Capability (PTC) to overcome these barriers. The PTC would unite two missions: advancing research to achieve genotype-independent, automated methods, and delivering scalable transformation services through a user-facility model. With expected gains of 10–100x in efficiency, including transformation and cost reduction, the PTC would accelerate the path from discovery to engineered plants, expand community access and training, and support downstream applications and workflows including field trials and regulatory navigation. By enabling rapid and predictable crop engineering, the PTC would strengthen U.S. supply chains, enhance industrial competitiveness, and ensure that DOE’s genomic investments deliver national impact.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantifying direct yield benefits of soil carbon increases from cover cropping

Cropland management practices that restore soil organic carbon (SOC) are increasingly presented as climate solutions that also enhance yields. But how often these benefits align at the farm level—the scale of farmers’ decision making—remains uncertain. Here we examined concurrent SOC and yield responses to cover cropping, including their direct connection, with a global meta-analysis. Cover cropping simultaneously increased yields and SOC in 59.7% of 434 paired observations. Increases in SOC directly increased crop yields in soils with initial SOC concentrations below 11.6 g kg-1; for example, a change from 5 g kg -1 to 6 g kg -1 increased yields by +2.4%. These yield benefits of SOC did not decline as nitrogen inputs increased or when legume cover crops were used, suggesting fertility inputs cannot substitute for SOC effects. Regardless of direct effects of SOC increases on yields, integrating legume cover crops into systems with simplified rotations or with nitrogen inputs < 157 kg ha -1 season -1 N led to the largest yield increases (up to +24.3%), with legumes also increasing SOC more than non-legumes (up to +1.5 g kg -1 ). By simultaneously increasing yields and SOC, cover cropping provides an opportunity to benefit both food security and climate, including via direct yield benefits from SOC increases on low carbon soils.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

AmeriFlux US-LMS LMRB LTAR Schmidt Farm

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-LMS LMRB LTAR Schmidt Farm. Site Description - Agricultural field in MS Delta with cover crops and minimal tillage

Witthaus, Lindsey [USDA ARS]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rethinking agrivoltaic incentive programs: A science-based approach to encourage practical design solutions

Agrivoltaic systems are promising solutions to address global food and energy challenges by combining agriculture and solar photovoltaics. However, the lack of appropriate regulations to define and guide their implementation constrains the growth of agrivoltaic systems in the U.S. This study uses a shading and radiation tool to evaluate an existing agrivoltaic incentive program that defines agrivoltaic designs based on shading reduction limits and panel height requirements. Our analysis indicates that structuring policy requirements around shading, and not light availability, may lead to an underestimation of crop suitability by neglecting diffuse radiation. Furthermore, we show that agrivoltaic systems can avoid increasing panel height if policy acknowledges use-case scenarios where farming only occurs between rows. In light of these insights, this study proposes two key policy recommendations: (1) benchmark crop suitability based on daily light integral (DLI) requirements for a shade-intolerant crop selected to represent a prevalent crop in the region, and (2) include an incentive scenario where agriculture is only required between rows. Furthermore, these two recommendations can potentially incentivize designs that are practical and closer in cost to conventional solar farms, thereby accelerating the adoption of cost-effective agrivoltaic systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

The effect of wind direction shear on turbine performance in a wind farm in central Iowa

Abstract. Numerous studies have shown that atmospheric conditions affect wind turbine performance; however, some findings have exposed conflicting results for different locations and diverse analysis methodologies. In this study, we explore how the change in wind direction with height (direction wind shear), a site-differing factor between conflicting studies, and speed shear affect wind turbine performance. We utilized lidar and turbine data collected from the 2013 Crop Wind Energy eXperiment (CWEX) project between June and September in a wind farm in north-central Iowa. Wind direction and speed shear were found to follow a diurnal cycle; however, they evolved differently with increasing wind speeds. Using a combination of speed and direction shear values, we found large direction and small speed shear to result in underperformance. We further analyzed the effects of wind veering on turbine performance for specific values of speed shear and found detrimental conditions on the order of 10 % for wind speed regimes predominantly located in the middle of the power curve. Focusing on a time period of ramping electricity demand (06:00–09:00 LT – local time) exposed the fact that large direction shear occurred during this time and undermined turbine performance by more than 10 %. A predominance of clockwise direction shear (wind veering) cases compared to counterclockwise (wind backing) was also observed throughout the campaign. Moreover, large veering was found to have greater detrimental effects on turbine performance compared to small backing values. This study shows that changes in wind direction with height should be considered when analyzing turbine performance.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

AgroIBIS VSF Farmed Pothole Ponding Model Runs

This data set includes modeled (AgroIBIS-VSF) output of crop yield for miscanthus and a corn/soybean rotation in .nc format. Input includes the precipitation scenarios (.csv) used to generate the runs, and supplemental observed yield monitor data (.csv) from the research area of interest.

Agricultural Hydrology (Drainage, Flooding, Irriga↗