Integrating geomatic and genomic data to increase wild mushroom harvesting

Although the popularity of edible mushrooms is blooming, it still occupies a meager proportion of the market compared with cultivated mushrooms. Commercial harvesting is growing across Canada, companies that harvest forest mushrooms are multiplyint, distribution in public markets are now abundant and (almost) all the big grocery stores offer an assortment of wild dehydrated mushrooms on their shelves. Nevertheless the pickers work hard to find the mushrooms and keep secret the location of their plots. In fact, prospecting (or site search) is the main work of the pickers who must combine their knowledge on habitats to their knowledge of the habitats, terrain and the species.

This project aims to increase the harvest of wild forest mushrooms through the creation of a mathematical model combining geomatic data containing 75 parameters (type of soil, drainage, plant species, age of the plant population, etc) to high density georeference metagenomic data aiming 50 species (37 edible, 12 toxique or potentially harmful and one lumber parasite). The integration of these data will allow to build a mathematical model which can be extrapolated to a part of the Quebec territory covering the territory of the First Nations communities of the Temiscamingue region. The two insdustrial partners of this project are Progigraph and TEDCO. Progigraph has been established in the field of geomatic for more than 30 years, the company posesses the geomatic data and the eco-forestry map for the project, the mathematical model will be developed jointly with Tedco and will remain Progigraph' property after the duration of the project. Progigraph's revenu will comes from the sales of the maps detailing the mushrooms harvesting potential and will apply the model to the entire territory of the province of Quebec when applicable. TEDCO is a company founded by both non-native and people of the First Nations and aims to stimulate the economic development of the Temiscamingue region. Their participation is vital since they will be involved in the selection of some of the 300 sites where soil samples will be collected. Upon completion of the project Progigraph will grant access to TEDCO for the maps of harvesting potential which covers the territory of the First Nations of the Temiscamingue region. TEDCO will also be responsible of putting forward a regional marketing structure that will facilitate product conservation and marketing of the produces thereby ensuring a revenu for the mushroom pickers.