Mobile Plant Analysis Lab @ pifCamp, Slovenia

This is part of the ongoing work during pifCamp on my Lab-in-the-Wild

DIY sap press
just use a garlic press :-)

What the heck is a "petiole"?
"In botany, the petiole is the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole is the transition between the stem and the leaf blade."

Near Infrared Photography


as usual the people from publiclab have already done a great job!


 * http://publiclab.org/wiki/near-infrared-camera
 * http://infragram.org/



Flame test
A great use of our spectroscopes!


 * https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/awschwab/www/specweb.htm


 * http://www.amazingrust.com/Experiments/how_to/Flame_Test.html


 * http://webmineral.com/help/FlameTest.shtml#.VbJOq_Olyko

Atomic Absorbtion Spectroscopy

 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_absorption_spectroscopy

Quick Nitrate-N Tests
just published by pearce et al
 * http://www.appropedia.org/Open-Source_Photometric_System_for_Enzymatic_Nitrate_Quantification

but what about these enzymes? are they open source?

the classic method:

Measure Nitrate by reducing it to nitrite via Zinc in "alkalischem milieu".

i have the nitrite test...

Checking Trace Nitrate in Water and Soil Using an Amateur Scientist's Measurement Guide

Procedures and apparatus (photometer) for measuring concentrations of nitrates in water and soil using common equipment and materials; includes data and analysis.

Download here: File:amateurScience_n.pdf



Chlorophyl content and meters
Simple Cholorophyl extraction methods:
 * https://clu-in.org/download/ert/2030-R00.pdf



Hmmm somehow these different spectra found on the internet are a bit confusing. according to the standard chlorophyll is measured at 645 and 663 nm to quantify the chlorophyll a and b composition



Hmmmm, checking the MultispeQ again
 * http://blog.photosynq.org/multispeq-measurements/#Photosynthetic-Efficiency
 * http://photosynq.org/

Protein Content Colorimetric Assays

 * http://people.umass.edu/~mcclemen/581Proteins.html


 * https://clu-in.org/download/ert/2033-R01.pdf

This link helped me a lot:
 * https://www.lifetechnologies.com/ch/en/home/life-science/protein-biology/protein-assays-analysis/protein-assays/colorimetric-protein-assays.html

There are quite a lot out there. The Biuret test, testing peptide bonds with some copper-ions, and it's modifications the BCA and Lowry tests. most suitable for our first experiments seems to be the Bradford assay with it's color change from brown to blue.


 * Bradford Reagent from Sigma Aldrich
 * Other more expensive kits

Materials:
 * Bradford Reagent also known as Coomassie G-250 dye. in methanol
 * still need a standard sample. but i got some BSA somewhere....
 * Orange LEDs
 * turbidity kits

Literature and Links
Handbook of Methods for Plant Analysis

''Plant analyses are usually carried out on prepared samples in a laboratory under controlled conditions. Testing of forage samples may be conducted with near infrared spectrometry (NIR) in mobile laboratories. Plant tissue tests or quick tests can be conducted in the field on living plant tissue, plant sap, or fluid.''

Not so sure about that...

Download here: File:Kalra_-_Handbook_of_Reference_Methods_for_Plant_Analysis.pdf

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Food Analysis - Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry

Download here: File:NIR_food_analysis.pdf

Soil And Plant Analysis - Use A Lab Or Do It Yourself


 * http://www.farmwest.com/node/1021

'''SCiO: Explore More! A Pocket Molecular Sensor For All!'''


 * https://www.consumerphysics.com/myscio/