Owner's Manual

INTRODUCTION
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in plant cells, algae cells, and cyanobacteria. The primary function of
chlorophyll molecules is radiation absorption, which provides energy essential for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll
concentration in plant leaves is typically expressed in units of quantity per area of leaf surface, micromoles per
square meter (µmol m
-2
); mass per area of leaf surface, milligrams per square meter (mg m
-2
), has also been used.
Hand-held chlorophyll meters typically provide a relative indication of chlorophyll in plant leaves. The patented
Apogee model MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meter measures relative chlorophyll content and outputs an
estimate of actual chlorophyll concentration in units of µmol per m
2
of leaf surface, which is closely correlated to
the relative measurement. The MC-100 provides an alternative to destructive sampling techniques for determining
chlorophyll concentration. It is less time consuming and labor intensive, and allows for leaves to be measured and
monitored over an entire growth cycle. It also allows for rapid replicate measurements of the same leaf, or rapid
measurement of multiple leaves.
Typical applications of chlorophyll meters include chlorophyll concentration determination for plant nutrient status
assessment, environmental stress impact, and fertilizer requirement.
Apogee Instruments MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meters consist of two light emitting diodes (one emitting
red radiation and one emitting near infrared radiation) with paired detectors, liquid crystal display (LCD), operation
buttons, 9 V alkaline battery, and signal processing circuitry mounted in a plastic housing. The meter also includes
a USB port for data download to a computer and RS-232 port for use with GPS. The meter is hand-held and
designed for instantaneous, non-destructive, direct determination of leaf chlorophyll concentration. The meter
measures the ratio of radiation transmittance from two different wavelengths (red and near infrared) and outputs
chlorophyll concentration, which is calculated internally from the transmittance ratio measurement and then
displayed on the LCD.