A Precision Imaging Approach to Assess Photovoltaic- Induced Shading Dynamics in Grapevine

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Agrivoltaic vineyards show strong spatio-temporal variability in canopy shading, but field methods to quantify panel-induced shading at canopy scale remain limited. Shading is a key factor because it affects plant physiological and morphological traits, with potential consequences for yield and production quality. This study developed a near-surface time-lapse RGB imaging approach to derive temporally explicit shading metrics in an agrivoltaic vineyard of Vitis vinifera cv. Falanghina in Southern Italy. Methods Two representative vine positions beneath the photovoltaic structure were monitored: Agrivoltaic Shade (AVS), with greater exposure to panel-induced shading, and Agrivoltaic Light (AVL), with lower exposure. Image-based canopy shading percentage was calculated through a dedicated processing workflow and integrated with radiometric and physiological measurements, including continuous photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), canopy-level spectral photon flux measurements, photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), band-specific photon flux densities, red:far-red ratio (R:FR), stomatal conductance (gₛ), and leaf temperature. PAR measurements beneath the panels were compared with a full-sun control area. Results AVS showed significantly higher shading than AVL (76.14% vs 39.45%, p Conclusion The proposed workflow offers a low-cost, non-destructive tool to quantify shading dynamics and support site-specific assessment of crop microenvironments in agrivoltaic systems. The approach provides crop-relevant information for precision monitoring and management of spatially heterogeneous light conditions across different crop species. Impact The data provided in this manuscript enable the quantification of in-season photovoltaic-induced canopy shading dynamics in an agrivoltaic vineyard using proximal RGB time-lapse imaging and crop-level radiometric measurements. These metrics reflect the spatial and temporal variability of light availability within the vineyard and support site-specific assessment of crop microenvironments and precision management of agrivoltaic systems.

Code and data availability

The preprint describes a time-lapse RGB imaging workflow and shading/physiological measurements, but no public dataset, image repository, or author code is deposited. The only availability statement is on-request, and photoQuad is a third-party tool, not a paper-specific asset.

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