美农场新技术---采摘蓝莓与收集太阳能两不误(中)

Last summer, David Dickey, the farm’s owner, partnered with Blue Wave Solar to build an array of nearly 11,000 solar panels directly over top of his farm.

去年夏天，农场主戴维·迪基与蓝波太阳能公司合作，在他的农场上方直接建造了一组近11000块太阳能电池板。

They cover 12 of the 30 total acres.

太阳能电池板占了30英亩中的12英亩。

It's just an interesting new challenge.

这是一个有趣的新挑战。

Now that construction's done, now we can come in and do what needs to be done for the blueberries.

现在建造完成了，现在我们可以进去为蓝莓做需要做的事情。

Basically, what we're going to do is work between the rows.

基本上，我们要做的就是太阳板一行与一行之间的工作。

This unique farm is just one example of a burgeoning industry known as Agrivoltaics -- placing solar panels on productive agricultural land.

这个独特的农场只是被称为Agrivoltaics(在高产的农田上安装太阳能电池板)的新兴产业的一个例子。

Pilot farms like this are springing up all over the country, hoping to show how collecting sunlight on farms might improve agriculture and offer farmers a second source of income.

像这样的试点农场在全国各地如雨后春笋般涌现，希望展示在农场收集阳光如何改善农业，并为农民提供第二个收入来源。

But, it is still too early to know how well it will work.

但是，要知道它的效果如何还为时过早。

We're trying to figure out exactly what it would take to shift from growing in a field landscape where there's no obstruction, it's just a big field of blueberries.

我们想要弄清楚到底需要什么才能从种植在没有障碍物的田地里，转变成种植一大片蓝莓的田地。

Lily Calderwood is the University of Maine Extension’s expert in wild blueberries.

莉莉·卡尔德伍德是缅因州大学推广部门的野生蓝莓专家。

And then in this situation, there are rows of solar panels.

在这种情况下，需要一排排的太阳能电池板。

So it's really shifting from a field crop to a row crop, which is a big shift to make.

从大田作物到行列作物，这是一个很大的转变。

Shading the plants and conserving water may potentially improve crop productivity.

遮阳和储水可能会提高作物产量。

But no one knows for sure because it's never been done before.

但没有人确切知道，因为以前从未做过。

Calderwood is determined to find out.

卡尔德伍德决心要找出答案。

She is heading a four-year research project, funded for the first year by Blue Wave Solar, to see if blueberries can thrive in the shade of a solar array.

她正在领导一个为期四年的研究项目，第一年由蓝波太阳能公司公司资助，目的是看看蓝莓是否能在太阳能电池板的遮蔽下茁壮成长。

This past year was the prune year, so no crop was harvested.

去年是修整的年份，所以没有收获。

And then next year, there will be a crop harvested.

然后明年，就会有作物丰收了。

And the following year will be another prune year, then the fourth year would be another crop year.

接下来的一年将是另一个修整年，然后第四年将是另一个作物丰收年。

So ideally, we would have two crop seasons of data to collect, and a total of four years.

所以理想情况下，我们需要收集两个作物季节的数据，总共四年。

Calderwood is monitoring soil quality, moisture, and crop productivity at the farm.

考尔德伍德正在监测农场的土壤质量、水分和作物产量。

She hopes to create a new set of farming rules for power and produce marriage.

她希望为电力和生产结合创造一套新的农业规则。