User:Zahra Cici

Zahra H Cici is a senior researcher in plant ecophysiology and sustainable agriculture, with research experience in crop–environment interactions, canopy architecture, light interception, plant water relations, and climate-resilient cropping systems. Her current research interests include agrivoltaics and understanding how photovoltaic systems influence crop physiology through changes in light environment, microclimate, and plant responses.

Zahra Cici received her PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2007.

Following her doctoral research, she held research appointments at the University of Guelph, Canada, where she contributed to research programmes in plant and agricultural sciences.

Her research career has focused on experimental plant science, including crop–environment interactions, canopy architecture, plant competition, light interception, sustainable cropping systems, and plant responses to environmental stress.

She has also gained extensive university teaching and research supervision experience in agricultural sciences and sustainable agriculture.

Zahra Cici's research interests include:

• Agrivoltaics and crop responses to photovoltaic environments
• Plant ecophysiology and crop–environment interactions
• Dynamic and heterogeneous light environments
• Photosynthesis and plant responses to changing radiation conditions
• Canopy architecture and light interception
• Plant water relations and drought responses
• Agricultural microclimate and crop resilience
• Sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient cropping systems
• Soil carbon and carbon farming

Zahra Cici has extensive experience in experimental plant science and field-based research. Her expertise includes:

• Field experimentation and crop physiological measurements
• Photosynthesis and gas exchange measurements
• Plant water relations and drought stress assessment
• Chlorophyll fluorescence and plant stress physiology
• Canopy architecture and radiation interception measurements
• Plant growth analysis, biomass allocation, and yield assessment
• Crop–environment interaction studies
• Microclimate measurements and environmental monitoring
• Evaluation of plant responses to heterogeneous and changing environmental conditions

Her research approach combines physiological measurements with field observations to understand how plants respond to environmental variability and management practices.

Zahra Cici's current research direction focuses on understanding how photovoltaic systems influence crop performance through changes in light environment, microclimate, and plant physiological responses.

Agrivoltaic systems create complex growing environments where plants experience changes in radiation quantity, radiation distribution, temperature, humidity, and water demand. These effects cannot be fully understood by considering only total daily radiation or final crop yield.

A major research interest is investigating how crops respond to dynamic and heterogeneous light environments created by photovoltaic structures. This includes studying photosynthetic adjustment, recovery after shade–sun transitions, canopy temperature responses, plant water relations, and the physiological mechanisms that determine crop adaptation.

This approach aims to connect:

Photovoltaic design → microclimate and light environment → plant physiological responses → crop performance.

Such knowledge can contribute to the development of agrivoltaic systems that optimize both renewable energy production and sustainable agricultural outcomes.

Selected publications demonstrating experience in plant architecture, light interception, environmental light responses, and crop–environment interactions include:

• Cici, S. Z. H., Adkins, S., & Hanan, J. (2008). A canopy architectural model to study the competitive ability of chickpea with sowthistle. Annals of Botany, 101(9), 1311–1318.

• Cici, S. Z. H., Adkins, S., & Hanan, J. (2009). Modelling the morphogenesis of annual sowthistle, a common weed in crops. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 69(1), 40–45.

• Cici, S. Z. H., Sindel, B., Adkins, S., & Hanan, J. (2014). Growth and reproduction of annual sowthistle (Sonchus asper L.) in response to environmental light. Agrotechnology.

• Cici, S. Z. H. (2026). Allelopathic effects of quinoa extracts and residues on weed germination and early growth. Next Research.

Zahra Cici is interested in collaborating on experimental research projects that connect photovoltaic systems with plant physiological responses and sustainable agricultural outcomes.

Potential contributions include:

• Designing and conducting crop physiology experiments in agrivoltaic systems
• Evaluating photosynthetic responses under dynamic and heterogeneous light environments
• Measuring plant water relations, canopy temperature, and crop microclimate
• Linking photovoltaic configuration and environmental modification to plant performance
• Developing field-based approaches for crop selection and crop management under agrivoltaic conditions

She is particularly interested in interdisciplinary collaborations that integrate plant science, agricultural sustainability, and photovoltaic system design.

Recent research activities and scientific outputs include:

• Making Biodiversity Claims in Dryland Solar Landscapes Testable: An Indicator Evidence Framework — manuscript under revision following peer review.

• Environmental Assessment of Multifunctional Agrivoltaic Landscapes: Integrating Solar Grazing, Biodiversity Conservation, and Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation — conference contribution.

• Carbon Farming Strategies in Viticulture: Pathways toward Climate-Resilient and Low-Emission Vineyards — conference contribution.

• Environmental Science: From Nature to Development — university-level textbook covering biodiversity, climate change, water resources, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and agrivoltaic systems.

• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3979-9687