Floor Crops for the Solar Corridor: Considerations and Opportunities.

The floor of a solar corridor management system has specific characteristics and parameters that dictate the sorts of crops and activities that can occur there.  Candidate crops for the floor must meet agronomic, ecological, and economic needs of the system being used.  Agronomically, floor crops must be compatible with the soil and crop management system of the corridor crop.  The crop must fit into the production cycle as well.  Ecologiically, the floor crop must complement the needs of the corridor crop, without taking native and applied inputs in such a way as to harm the corridor crop.  Economically, the floor crop must add value to the system by facilitating perfromance of the corridor crop, by enhancing the economic return from the corridor crop, and/or by providing reasonable economic benefits to the system by themselves.  This talk will address some of the agronomic, ecological, and economic characteristics to be considered in selecting compatible floor crops, and present some ideas for utilizing the floor of the solar corridor to optimize utility of the entire system.