Yeah I’d like to dive deeper on this as well – anyone have any resources to suggest? Even just to learn more about the interaction of temp, light, and CO2 in the context of photosynthesis and photorespiration? Text books, articles, or scientific papers?

It seems that light often isn’t the factor limiting photosynthesis in our agricultural systems and an excess of direct light and heat is often a limiting factor.

I’m wondering if this aluminet reflective shade cloth might be a good tool during the summer months – the black shade cloth is blocking light but not blocking as much heat, so maybe the reflective shade cloth would result in higher photosynthesis from the same quantity of light due to the lowers temps. It’s expensive, but so is the black shade cloth.

Also the thought of introducing more albedo onto the farm to generally reflect heat during the summer is interesting to me.

p.s. it makes me reflect ???? on the pessimism of the global warming discussion, and wish that people instead were provided with tools to be proactive in their own environments. I’m thinking of albedo, standing water, haze and infiltration, and the cooling effect of a respiring tree. What if everyone in a dense suburban neighborhood took it upon themselves to cool their collective area during the summer? I guess as a farmer you’re struck directly with how your actions effect your environment, and otherwise it’s not so obvious.