CONTENT MEASURING APPARATUS FOR PLANT LEAF

摘要

A content measuring apparatus for a plant leaf having a light source section for irradiating near infrared light of a predetermined wavelength in the range of 600 nm - 1100 nm on a sample leaf to be measured, a light intensity detecting device for receiving at least transmitted light from said sample leaf, and an operation means for determining a content percent estimation equation based on the light absorbance obtained by irradiating the near infrared light on a reference object whose content percent has been known, and computing a content percent for a specific content of the sample leaf based on said content percent estimation equation and the light absorbance of said sample leaf, said light source section comprising: a diffuse reflectance plate; a plurality of light emitting elements each having a light axis directed to said diffuse reflectance plate with a predetermined inclination angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the normal line of said diffuse reflectance plate; a reflection light path for conducting the reflected light from said diffuse reflectance plate with direct light from said plurality of light emitting elements being shaded, said reflection light path arranged perpendicularly with respect to a surface of said diffuse reflectance plate at a substantial center of said diffuse reflection plate; a diffuse transmittance plate arranged at an irradiating side of said reflection light path, for making the reflection light uniformly irradiate on said sample leaf; and a light controller for appropriately controlling said plurality of light emitting elements.