LI-6800 Portable Photosynthesis System

The global standard for photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements.

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Complementary Plant Physiology Measurements with the LI-600 and LI-6800

Learn about how combining rapid survey measurements from the LI-600 with detailed data from the LI-6800 allows you to record larger, more informative data sets while saving time.

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The LI-6800 Portable Photosynthesis System simultaneously measures photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence over the same area in plants and aquatic samples, revealing additional insights into photobiology. Highly extendable, it is capable of measuring gas exchange from soil, insects, and many other sample types for countless experiments.

Answer questions with confidence

Built on a foundation of decades of experience in photosynthesis research technology, the LI-6800 Portable Photosynthesis System empowers you to focus on your research questions.

Focus on your data

Fluorometer, file, calibration, balanced flow, and other utilities ease and assist your data collection.

Design your experiments

Support for custom gas mixtures, auxiliary sensors, custom chambers, and extensive programming capabilities give you flexibility for extended applications.

Take it comfortably into the field

Ergonomic grips, a carrying harness for support and access to controls, tripods, and a monopod for the sensor head facilitate your field work.

LI-6800 measuring legumes in greenhouse

Publish your research story

You share your research stories by publishing in scientific journals. The LI-6800 is your partner in research—it reveals biological processes with its measurements so you can create compelling publications with your data.

LI-6800 features that safeguard the collection and quality of publishable data include:

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    Automated startup, system tests and real-time operating status information ensure that the instrument starts and performs in top form, allowing you to quickly address issues if they arise.
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    Long-lasting, hot-swappable batteries keep up with you on long days. Battery charge status and a low-battery warning on the display let you keep going without interruption until you complete your measurements.
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    A responsive touch screen with a powerful graphics processor helps you visualize and understand the instrument settings.
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    Charts of live and logged data show multiple parameters at once. You can auto-scale, zoom in, and rescale charts to let the data reveal its story.
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    Configurable data logging capabilities help you get the data you need for a robust, thorough analysis.
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    Data are recorded as plain text and Microsoft® Excel® files with embedded equations so you can recompute datasets with altered parameters.
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    Configuration management tools let you store, load, and share configurations for different protocols and researchers.

As the research community utilizes this innovative technology to advance understanding of plant physiology, the list of publications grows.

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Featured publication

Drought exerts a greater influence than growth temperature on the temperature response of leaf day respiration in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Understanding how climate change affects crop physiological processes is critical for global food security, modelling crop productivity, and for carbon budgets of agricultural ecosystems. In an article published in Plant, Cell & Environment (2022), Fang et al. report on experiments performed to understand the acclimation of wheat to changing water and temperature conditions. Learn how they used the LI-6800 Portable Photosynthesis System to measure gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence.

Read the paper

Novel advancements

LI-COR continues its tradition of innovation in environmental measurement technology and applications. The LI-6800 features advancements not found in any other photosynthesis system.

aquatic a-q curve

Aquatic photosynthesis

The 6800-18 Aquatic Chamber—with the LI-6800 Portable Photosynthesis System—measures steady-state carbon assimilation and chlorophyll a fluorescence from algal suspensions, coral, macro algae, sea grasses, and more.

Dynamic Assimilation™ Technique

The Dynamic Assimilation Technique, based on a reformulation of the traditional assimilation equation, allows you to take measurements when chamber conditions are not at steady state, so you can record faster CO2 response curves and survey measurements.

dynamic assymilation technique a-q curve chart
OJIP plot

Multiphase Flash™ Fluorometer

With its highly uniform light output, configurable modulation rate, signal-to-noise optimization, and flash intensity of up to 16,000 µmol, the 6800-01A Multiphase Flash Fluorometer quickly achieves maximum fluorescence yield, providing true resolution of the OJIP points and high data density for the regression.

Collaborate

diagram of partnerships enhanced by the LI-6800

Undergraduate teaching colleges, research institutions, and non-profit organizations can collaborate and extend their reach around shared interests and the LI-6800.

diagram of multiple disciplines that use the LI-6800

Educators and researchers in plant physiology, aquatic photosynthesis, climate science, soil science, and agronomy can use the LI-6800 to answer research questions and demonstrate concepts in the field, lab, or classroom.

Extend your research to soil and the atmosphere

What drives one plant to thrive, and another to fail? How do you measure an entire field? Learn more by digging into soil flux measurements to study soil-plant dynamics. Automate and scale-up to the field with an eddy covariance system. Learn more about LI-COR ecosystem monitoring solutions.

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Built on experience

The LI-6800 was developed by the most experienced team of photosynthesis researchers and engineers in the industry, in collaboration with leading academic and commercial plant physiologists. It combines patented technologies with proven techniques, giving you the advantage of experience.

LI-COR photosynthesis instruments are the most cited in published literature, having earned the trust of researchers for nearly four decades. The LI-6800 continues this tradition—your research will stand out because of the instrument’s pedigree.

Get experience

LI-COR wants you to put your best work forward. We offer a range of resources for learning about photosynthesis measurements and becoming an LI-6800 expert.

LI-6800 users have access to in-person and online training with our scientists, videos, publications, world-class documentation, and outstanding technical support. Each LI-6800 includes two training certificates (some restrictions apply).

Share your experience

Whether in a lecture hall, a small classroom, the lab, or in the field, the LI-6800 helps you share your experience with students and collaborators. Connect the LI-6800 to your computer, tablet, or phone using a VNC viewer to plot sample responses in real time, change settings, and view charts. You can share the instrument screen with an entire classroom using an overhead projector.

LI-6800 measuring conifers

Design Innovations

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