Please note: This is a Sole Source Notification. Specifications include, but are not limited to: I confirm that this is the only company that can provide the quality and reliability I need to collect plant ecophysiological data for the research that will be conducted in my SBS lab. All the items included in the provided quote (LI6800 portable photosynthesis system; LI600 leaf porometer; plus consumables for both machines) are exclusively LICOR products, and the consumables they sell are highly recommended for optimum functioning of the equipment. The LI-6800 (portable photosynthesis system) and the LI-600 (porometer) listed in the quote will guarantee high quality and quick data collection and, most importantly, allow for a more controlled chamber conditions to make measures at specific temperature and humidity settings, which isn’t as well controlled by competing manufacturers. My research requires a stable control of leaf temperature and evaporative demand, and having equipment that caters to those research needs is very important. Additionally, the LI6800 has a chamber head that can also measure leaf fluorescence, which is an indicator of plant stress, and other manufacturers sell separate equipment to measure this parameter. For the porometer (LI-600), the main difference from competing products is that it can make very quick measurements, has a more developed infrared gas analyzer, and also measures leaf temperature using an infrared sensor. Other porometers in the market are known to for lengthy measurements due to having issues in stabilizing water concentration measurements that are required to calculated transpiration and stomatal conductance. One of the characteristics that separates the LI-6800 from competing brands is its quick and stable control of moisture input within the measurement chamber. This equipment also has a larger battery duration and life than competing brands. The chemicals in the sample tubes used by this company (specifically Sorbead silica gel desiccant that controls moisture) are safer and more efficient in retaining and releasing moisture (along with a more sophisticated air mixing and piping setup) from the system as needed. The competing manufacturers still use older and less efficient desiccant and do not have reliable moisture control capabilities that are important when conducting work in drylands and tropics. Not being able to maintain a stable chamber condition while taking measurements, and having an equipment that will not have an extended battery life will negatively affect the progress of our research by extending measurement periods substantially (from days to weeks); as well as providing unreliable data when measuring plants under extreme conditions.
