The villagers of Chunduo village – located in the Hailing district of Taizhou city, in East China's Jiangsu province – have concocted a novel form of cultivation, planting lush leaks or Chinese chives under the protective photovoltaic panels of a solar power park.
The leek plantation, occupying an area of 200 mu (13.33 hectares), can generate an annual output of over 1 million kilograms of the vegetable. "In summer, the output of our leeks is more than 50 percent higher than other fields in the same period," said grower Lu Zhixiang.
Hailing is currently promoting the integrated development of solar power and agriculture – and the integration of photovoltaic power station and agricultural planting is one prime example of the innovative practice.
Chunduo village, as a pilot area, has also moved to develop its chicken farming industry in the solar power park and it has developed a special breed of chicken, that can now generate annual sales totaling 150,000 yuan ($21,783).