Joe,

What’s wrong with soybeans? They help restore nitrogen to the soil. That’s why we rotate corn and soybeans, as corn consumes a lot of nitrogen.

GMO seeds are not intrinsically problematic. In fact, many GMO crops, including soybeans, are engineered to be more resistant to pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and herbicides. This can lead to more sustainable farming practices. Naturally, the corporate and legal aspects of GMO crops are extremely problematic, but I think these issues are separate from the potential functionality of GMOs.

As long as we continue funding and continue receiving good regulation from the NIH, USDA APHIS, FDA, EPA, EFSA, the European Commission, CFIA, Health Canada, CTNBio, OGTR, GEAC, Codex Alimentarius, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, GMOs should remain unproblematic.

Energy producing shade structures create a new environment, and GMO technology has the potential to help us engineer plants to thrive in new environments. As we develop new agrivoltaics pairings and physical layouts, we will certainly want to modify some plants so that they are more shade tolerant. We may also benefit from engineering plants to be more resistant to disease, as agrivoltaics facilities are darker and damper, and carry the potential for humidity-loving funguses and bacteria.