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Soil respiration is an important indicator of soil health and overall soil function as it relates to residue decomposition, nutrient cycling, aggregation and organic matter formation. Therefore, the need for laboratories to provide producers with repeatable, timely and meaningful analysis is growing and labs are currently limited to either long incubations or costly consumables for rapid detection. 

SR-1 CO2 Analyzer Instrument

SR-1 CO2 Analyzer

Design

The SR-1 CO2 Analyzer is a compact, easy to use, accurate, low-cost option for measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) produced as a result of microbial respiration.

Benefits

The SR-1 CO2 Analyzer replaces many of the other commercially available options at a fraction of the cost, which may increase laboratory throughput.

HOW IT WORKS

The SR-1 determines CO2 concentration using either a LI-COR 840A or LI-COR 850 Infrared Gas Analyzer (IRGA) (Lincoln, NE) detection system coupled with a custom software application for capturing and reporting data in parts per million of CO2-C based on an initial dried sample weight of 40 grams. SR-1 operates as a closed system when connected to the incubation chamber where the gas trapped inside is pulled by vacuum through the system and allowed to equilibrate before data acquisition. When an incubation chamber is connected, a drop in pressure initiates the software to start looking for a peak. This is recorded as the maximum CO2 detected from the sample. Then the gas inside the system is allowed to mix in order to reach what is called Steady State. This steady state number is captured by the software and serves as the reported value for the sample. When the incubation chamber is disconnected, the SR-1 is allowed to flush the CO2 from the system and the pressure and CO2 readings go back to ambient levels. This triggers the software to go back to a ready state for the next sample to be analyzed. The values for each sample are captured and logged in a CSV file for formatted, easy to import values for use with a variety of LIMS and other data management systems.

APPLICATIONS

The SR-1 was initially designed to provide 24hr CO2 burst readings as part of the Haney Test package (Rick Haney, USDA-ARS, Temple, TX) and served to replace other costly methods for detecting CO2. However, the instrument can be used solely to measure CO2 as a standalone measurement or coupled with additional analyses found outside of the Haney Test methods. In addition, incubations are not limited to 24 hours and the SR-1 can be used to accurately measure CO2 levels from other common incubation times such as 3, 7 and 21-day intervals. SR-1 will produce reliable CO2 data regardless of re-wetting techniques, incubation temperatures and incubation times used by individual laboratories. Other applications include the determination of CO2 from compost, manure, and field moist soil in addition to dried and rewetted soil.

SR-1 CO2 Analyzer in Action

This video shows how to operate the SR-1 CO2 Analyzer, and demonstrates the sample testing process from start to finish.

A video demonstrating the Calibration Process can be found on the FAQ page

AVAILABLE PACKAGE OPTIONS

Base Package
SR-1 Instrument and Software only
CO2 Automation Software
1 Year Warranty on Parts
1 Year Software Upgrades
1 Year Tech Support
Contact for Quote
Essentials Package
Base Package features plus the following
1 Year Service Agreement
Monitor, Wired Keyboard/Mouse
24 Jars/Beakers & Ported Lids with gaskets
2 Boxes of filters (50 each)
Contact for Quote
Complete Package
Essential Package features plus the following
Onsite Delivery and Instrument Set-up
Instrument Demonstration
Software Training
Service and Consumables kit
Contact for Quote

Please contact us for more details on each available package option, including pricing information.

Parts and Accessories