PROTON-DAYS™

 
	 
Agricultural Electronics Corporation
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PROTON-DAYS™ are a single value daily numerical index of
		metabolic activity. Just as DEGREE-DAYS give a measure of the stimulus that the
		plant experiences due to the weather, PROTON-DAYS™ give a measure of the
		response of the plant to this weather stimulus. PROTON-DAYS™ accumulate
		each day just as do DEGREE-DAYS.
 
	 
 The PHYTOGRAM™ proton assay can be used to compute the buildup of
		PROTON-DAYS™ at a site. The ratio of PROTON-DAYS™ to DEGREE-DAYS
		gives a numerical response/stimulus index of crop performance.
		PROTON-DAYS™ can be used to quantify performance between sites.
 
	 
Technical Extract from presentation at ASEV 52nd Annual Meeting,
		San Diego, California, June 2001
 
	 
Proton-Days™ A Metabolic Activity
		Indicator
 
	 
William Gensler
 
	 
  
		
 Experimental evidence suggests the diurnal cycle of
		  electrical potential of a noble metal sensor implanted in the extracellular
		  region of plant tissue is an indicator of the diurnal cycle in extracellular
		  proton concentration. Proton transfers back and forth across the cell membrane
		  are part of a wide variety of cellular metabolic processes. The magnitude of
		  the change in proton concentration of the extracellular fluid each day can be
		  used as a indication of the magnitude of this activity for that day. This
		  magnitude is termed a "Proton-Day™". A typical Proton-Day™ value for
		  vigorous vines is 180 while poorly performing vines will have a
		  Proton-Day™ value of 65 under the same basic environmental conditions.
		  Proton-Days™ can be added up in the same manner as "Degree-Days" to yield
		  a seasonal numerical index for a vineyard. Furthermore, the Proton-Day™
		  per Degree-Day ratio forms a quantitative response/stimulus ratio for rating
		  vineyard performance.
  
		
 
	 
 
		Web Site Navigation Links 
		
 
		  Welcome Page
		  
		    
		
 
		
 
		  PHYTOGRAM™ - Applications and
			 specifications 
		  Automatic Point and Band
			 Dendrometers - For precise measurements of growth 
		
 
		
 
		   POD - In the field
			 data collection over extended periods of time 
		  Manual Band Dendrometers - Schematic
			 drawing and product characteristics 
		
 
		
 
		  Equipment Cost and
			 Support Services - Products, Services, and typical packages 
		  Automatic Root Dendrometers - For
			 measurement of diurnal cycles and growth rates of roots near the surface. 
		
 
		
 
		  Environmental
			 Sensors - For concurrent assays of air and ground temperature, light, and
			 soil moisture 
		  Sensor Cluster Layout - Field
			 layouts of sensors for production and research applications 
		
 
		
 
		  Data Transfer
			 Methods  - Various alternatives  
		    
		
 
		
 
		  Irrigation Scheduling- Optimize irrigation with the
			 PHYTOGRAM™ technique 
		  Communicating with Agricultural Electronics
			 Corporation - By E-mail, Post Office, Telephone and Fax 
		
 
		
 
		  Proton-Days™ - Quantify plant response to
			 weather at different sites (similar to Degree-Days) 
		  Dendrometer
			 User Group Pages 
		
 
		
 
		  Sucrose Transport - Method of
			 determining magnitude and uniformity of sucrose transport between leaf and
			 fruit 
		  Water Content of Specific Crops 
		
 
	 
 
	 
 
		
 
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