Yield, quality and processing forms of cream and orange flesh sweetpotato genotypes

• Grant number: 19/24547-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal researcher: Adalton Mazetti Fernandes
• Grantee: Alana Pontes Sun de Souza
• Home Institution: Centro de Raízes e Amidos Tropicais (CERAT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent years the area of production of sweet potato (Ipomoea potatoes L.) has increased considerably, and there is an optimistic forecast of growth of this crop in Brazil. Despite the versatility of sweet potato uses, its main form of consumption is still the fresh market in the form of cooked and baked dishes. However, the production of sweet potato chips is a reality in Brazil that is beginning to grow, due to the availability of cultivar more productive and with orange flesh pulp, which generate more attractive chips. However, little is known about the root growth dynamics of these newer cultivars, and what would be the best root harvesting times to cater for different market segments with a high quality product. Thus, the objective of this work is to evaluate the root development throughout the crop cycle, and root quality, as well as the characteristics of cooking, frying, nutrient content and processing costs of tuberous root chips of four sweet potato clones, being two of cream pulp (Canadense (standard) and BRS Rubissol) and two of orange flesh pulp (Clone 1358 and Clone 1365). The experiment will be conducted in a randomized complete block design in a split plot scheme with 4 replications. The plots will be represented by the sweet potato cultivars (Canadense, BRS Rubissol, Clone 1358, and Clone 1365) and the subplots by the harvesting periods, which will be done at 90, 105, 120, 135, and 150 days after planting (DAP). Each plot will have 7 rows of 10 m in length and each subplot will have two rows of 0.60 m (± 4 plants). Will be evaluated: number of tuberous roots per plant and average weight of tuberous roots; yield and classification of tuberous roots; moisture, ash, fiber, protein, reducing sugar, total sugar, and root starch; root cooking time and frying yield; root pulp texture before and after cooking; root flesh color before and after cooking or frying; nutrient content in tuberous roots and nutrient loss during cooking; cost analysis for chip production. The results will be submitted to ANOVA, and the means of cultivars will be compared by the LSD test (pd0.05), and the effect of the harvest times will be evaluated by regression analysis. (AU)