Truffes detection using ground penetration radar

Abstract

Honaz Mountain (Denizli-SW Turkey) has a mild and humid climate and it produces a rich flora in the area. As a natural consequence thereof, the study area offers a rich mushroom potential that is a rising economic value. In recent years, Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) is a relatively modern and effective and widely utilized technique for shallow subsurface exploration. GPR with 250 Hz antenna was employed to trace the tubers in Honaz Mountain area. To elucidate how the mushroom can reflect the signals, mineral composition of the mushrooms has been analysed. Percentage of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Al, P, S, Si, Cl minerals were significantly different from that of earth. This difference in element composition seems to cause the reflection of the signals. A large number of mushroom grooving areas have been detected during the study. The observed GPR data have been confirmed by the physical excavation. The study proposes that this method can be effectively employed to detect the natural mushrooms in the ground.