The impact of OASIS on maize yield

The sowing of maize, which took place in May 2026, is a significant step because the crop’s development can be closely monitored, making it suitable for providing data that can be used to evaluate the practical operation of the system. One of the main objectives of the OASIS prototype project is to demonstrate that renewable energy generation and modern agricultural production are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but can be complementary activities. The cultivation experiment carried out in 2026 will help generate sound evidence regarding the applicability of agrivoltaic systems in Hungary, particularly in terms of climate change, water management and sustainable land use.

During the 2026 agricultural season, we continuously monitored the development of the crops and, based on the data collected, assessed the agricultural, environmental and innovative significance of the technology. At the same time, for the purposes of comparison, we sowed maize of the same variety as the ones in the shade of the solar panels, in a field adjacent to the prototype. These crops were also tended using the same working procedures. The only differences were the precision irrigation provided by OASIS and the shading effect of the solar panels.

Let’s see what effect OASIS has on maize!

The image below shows, on the left, maize harvested from beneath the OASIS prototype, whilst on the right is the crop harvested from the control field.

The difference is clearly visible. The ears collected from the untreated area are considerably smaller, with poor grain filling, and fertilization did not occur at the tips of the ears, resulting in a lack of kernel set. In contrast, the plants grown under OASIS are larger and significantly more developed.

The following video presents the harvesting experiment in greater detail:

In addition to the yield, the plant also grew much taller and produced a significantly higher yield – up to 8–10 times more.

What are the plans for next year?

In the years following 2026, we will test the system’s efficiency with other crops and explore further opportunities for optimisation. Our aim is to supplement the irrigation system with so-called evapotranspiration calculations, which adjust the amount of water applied to the plant’s growth stage and determine the need for irrigation based on weather data.
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Tel: +36 20 492 7445
Email: krupanszky.peter@solinenergy.com