On the slopes of Maowu Village in Dedang Town, Yongde County, rows of deep-blue solar panels stretch neatly along the mountain contours. Beneath the panels, ginger shoots push upward in ridges while castor plants flourish with thick foliage, and workers busily tend and harvest the crops. A three-dimensional agricultural scene of "power generation above the panels, wealth creation below them" is unfolding.
Maowu Village has plenty of hills but little flat land, and traditional farming yields limited returns. After a photovoltaic project covering more than 1,800 mu was launched, how to make the land beneath the panels more productive became a key concern for the village's Party branch and village committee. Under the land lease agreement and relevant policies, farmers may cultivate crops on their own as long as power generation is not affected. The policy space existed, but who would plant, what would be planted, and how it would be done remained difficult questions.
"We cannot let the land under the solar panels grow only grass; we must make it produce both returns and hope," said Chen Xue, Party branch secretary and director of Maowu Village. She took the initiative to coordinate with the photovoltaic company and, after repeated and detailed field visits, brought in large-scale growers to develop industries in the village. The core of agrivoltaics lies in "layered use of space and stacked benefits." The solar panels create 40% to 60% shading, filtering intense direct sunlight and increasing the proportion of soft diffuse light. The temperature and humidity beneath the panels are better suited to shade-loving crops, providing a unique microclimate for specialty planting.
"The village Party branch and village committee coordinated land boundaries, water and electricity, and labor connections for us, so we felt confident coming in to develop. The slopes here get plenty of sunlight, and the panels provide shade below. As long as we choose the right varieties, we can definitely achieve good returns," said Bao Chongwen, a large-scale grower. After research, Bao Chongwen arranged a diversified planting structure beneath the panels, including more than 20 mu of ginger and more than 200 mu of castor. He also grows plants such as grassleaf sweetflag, scallions, green beans, and flue-cured tobacco. Short-cycle vegetables bring quick cash returns, while Chinese medicinal herbs provide continuous output, forming a planting pattern that combines long and short cycles with multiple varieties. This not only ensures stable income but also offers surrounding residents diverse options for work and cultivation.
The ultimate goal of industrial development is to help people increase their incomes and become better off. Through a model of "Party organization guidance plus large growers leading plus public participation," Maowu Village has built a close mechanism of shared interests. Villagers receive income from land transfer rent and can also work at the planting base. So far, the base has paid more than 200,000 yuan in cumulative land rent and wages, allowing local people to secure a "green job" at their doorstep. The planting base has also become a "field classroom" where people learn techniques. Many villagers have mastered the cultivation and management of crops such as ginger, castor, and grassleaf sweetflag while working, laying a foundation for independent planting and future industrial development.
Above the panels, clean energy flows continuously into the power grid; below them, specialty crops thrive. "On the same piece of land, there is both photovoltaic power generation income and agricultural planting income, doubling the comprehensive benefits of the land," Chen Xue said. In recent years, Dedang Town has closely followed the goal of building Lincang City's National Sustainable Development Agenda Innovation Demonstration Zone, promoting the integrated development of mountain photovoltaics and agriculture, and expanding the "photovoltaic plus" industrial circle. This has not only revitalized idle land resources but also cultivated specialty planting industries and strengthened the village collective economy, making the green foundation for enriching the people and strengthening the village even brighter.
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