Most plants can use only a few hours of direct sunlight before they run out of stuff to photosynthesize out of. They endure the rest of the day trying not to get dehydrated, and spend the night stockpiling raw materials to process next day.
Cereal crops are bred to be able to use more sun than most plants; most chase other goals than the big seeds we select for.
It's a win for all sides and I've seen it used extensively here in Germany.