It is a very commonly known fact that the sun is used to dry crops and grain in agriculture. This is quite a simple and very cost-effective ,method. The crops or grain are left to dry naturally in the field after harvesting. However, a major drawback of this method is that these crops and grain may be damaged by natural elements like rain and wind and by rodents and birds. Solar power provides an effective solution in the form of sophisticated solar dryers which offer the benefit of protection against losses along with ensuring faster drying and better quality products. These solar dryers can be made easily out of simple materials at a very nominal cost and then can be used for drying vegetables and fruit for home use.

Another important application of solar energy in agricultural sector is greenhouse heating. Although commercial greenhouses rely on the sun to fulfill their lighting needs, they are not designed to use the sun for heating. They use gas or oil heaters to regulate the temperatures which are needed to grow plants in the colder months. A major benefit of Solar greenhouses is that they can be used for both heating and lighting. A solar greenhouse makes use of thermal mass to collect and store solar heat energy for use during the day and insulation to retain this heat for use during the night or on cloudy days. Thus a solar greenhouse reduces the dependence on fossil fuels for heating. A gas or oil heater may be used as a back-up heater.