Multiplex (sensor)

Multiplex sensor is a hand-held multiparametric optical sensor developed by Force-A. The sensor is a result of 15 years of research on plant autofluorescence conducted by the CNRS and University of Paris-Sud Orsay. It provides accurate and complete information on the physiological state of the crop, allowing real-time and non-destructive measurements of chlorophyll and polyphenols contents in leaves and fruits.

Technology

Multiplex assesses the chlorophyll and polyphenols indices by making use of two attributes of plant fluorescence: the effect of fluorescence re-absorption by chlorophyll and screening effect of polyphenols.
The sensor is an optical head which contains:

Optical sources
Detectors

Applications

Alongside with other data, Multiplex is designed to provide input for decision support systems for a range of crops, including:

Fertilization applications
Crop quality assessments

As a standalone sensor, Multiplex is a tool for rapid collection of information concerning chlorophyll and flavonoids contents of the plant to be applied on ecophysiological research.