Design of Photosynthetically Active Radiation Sensor

Abstract

Photo synthetically Active Radiation (PAR) is an important factor that directly influence the Terrestrial net primary productivity. Accurate measurement of PAR provides critical input to analyze the spatial and temporal variability’s of net primary productivity. This paper describes design development and characterization of a Photo synthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Sensor. Cosine correction of the sensor, Calibration of the sensor, Processing Electronics, field trials and comparison against a NIST calibrated quantum sensor. This sensor is a cost effective solution for measurement of PAR in terrestrial, underwater and space environments.