Microwave Scanning Technology as a Non-destructive Testing Method for Detecting Black Heart in Potato

Abstract

In recent decades, food scientists and engineers have attempted to develop an improve technologies that can detect the internal damages of agricultural produce under postharvest conditions using a various methods of destructive and non-destructive technologies. This study presents the technique of microwave scanning as a non-destructive technology for application in agriculture to detect black heart in potato tubers in a non-destructive way. A bi-static antenna configuration of microwave scanning setup operating at 2.45GHz was assembled, with a customized slotted rectangular microstrip antenna designed and simulated with CST, thereafter fabricate the antenna to be used as a microwave sensor in the setup, a miniVNA tiny double as a RF generator and S-parameter measurement was used to measured transmission coefficient  through samples of real potato, the analysis was based on the differences in the wave spectrum obtained between the good potato sample and the sample with black heart. The result obtained from the analysis of wave spectrum shows that there is a significant difference up to 5dB in the wave pattern of a good potato sample and the sample with internal damages. Accuracy up to 86% of true state of the tested sample was achieved using the technology. Hence, the method can be adequately used as a scientific way of grading and sorting a batch of potato non-destructively.