## 1 Introduction  
The agroecosystem involves the dynamic interplay between natural resources and human-derived capital, encompassing human efforts and technologies devoted to increase our overall well-being [1; 2; 3; 4]. It has a primary role to support food security, ensuring universal access to a sufficient and safe supply of nutritious food that adheres to the quality parameters promoting human health [5]. This perspective integrates crucial factors such as food availability, quality, accessibility, and utilization, aiming to maintain stability over time [6; 7], aligning with the UN goals to alleviate hunger, malnutrition, and the related issues [5]. Farmers face challenges posed by changing meteorological events, including floods, heatwaves, fires, drought, and shifts in soil conditions [4; 8; 9]. These events force agricultural crop species to undergo adaptations, potentially influencing ecosystem services crucial for food security. However, the implementation of adaptation measures, like drought escape and dehydration avoidance, may have adverse consequences on crop yields and the quality of edible products [4; 10; 11; 12; 13]. Despite these challenges, farmers have the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change on crops by implementing specific agricultural strategies. These include optimizing irrigation and fertilization practices, diversifying crops and selecting resilient varieties, refining fertilization practices, and adopting protective measures (e.g., greenhouses and tunnels) along with implementing precision agriculture [4; 14; 15]. In this context, agrivoltaic systems emerge as a promising solution for sustainable crop production and the efficient use of water resources in the face of climate change. These systems integrate renewable energy production and crop cultivation within the same space, using photovoltaic (PV) panels either elevated above the ground or integrated into shade-like structures [16; 17; 18; 19]. The agrivoltaic system can be defined as a hybrid-based solution (H-b5) combining human infrastructure into the agroecosystem with positive impacts on ecosystem services [20]. Positioning PV panels above specific crops provides benefits such as reduced leaf evapotranspiration, enhanced water use efficiency, and temperature regulation. Additionally, their shade helps maintain soil moisture balance, promoting optimal conditions for plant growth [16; 20; 21; 22; 23]. However, the extent of these advantages and the adaptability of crops to thrive and be productive beneath the PV panels vary among species. Indeed, there is substantial documentation indicating that when plants are exposed to shade, the net photosynthetic rate of leaves increases substantially, leading to a rapid closure of stomata [24]. This shading-induced decline in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), encompassing light in the 400-700 nm range, can trigger the adaptive response known as the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) [25; 26]. SAS signifies the vegetation's proactive response to low light availability, often a prodromal sign of imminent resource-dependent competition, and triggers physiological mechanisms that enhance plant capability to thrive in a competitive environment, including increased stem elongation, reduced branching, and early seed production. The consequences of SAS for crop production can vary depending on environmental conditions, natural resources, and the topography of vegetation [20; 27; 28]. Understanding these factors is crucial for optimizing the benefits of agrivoltaic systems in terms of their impact on plant growth and overall agricultural productivity. The impact of shading in agrivoltaic systems depends on several factors, including plant species, environmental conditions, and crop management practices. Shading may result in increased production in certain cases, but its effects can be negative or negligible under different conditions [29; 30]. In terms of food production, SAS could offer advantages for certain crops harvested for leaves, stems, or roots [28].