Performance of sweet potato clones for starch and ethanol in three regions of the state of Sergipe, Brazil

Abstract

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a species that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae, and is originated from Central America and South America. As the growing conditions have great influence on the crop, the determination of harvesting time may vary with the cultivar, the growing region, or with the type of consumption (in natura or industrial). The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of Ipomoea batatas L. clones, cultivated in three regions in the state of Sergipe, for starch and ethanol production. Thirty-one sweet potato clones grown in three municipalities of the state of Sergipe were tested in a randomized block design. The following variables were analyzed: root dry matter content (RDMC), root starch content (SC), starch yield (SY), ethanol yield (EY), and ethanol yield per ton of root (EYR). EY values ranged from 5910.39 to 8516.12 L ha^-1; from 5141.85 to 6937.63 L ha^-1; and from 5829.62 to 8211.77 L ha^-1 in the municipalities of São Cristóvão, Malhador, and Canindé de São Francisco, respectively, for clones IPB-075 and IPB-087 and cultivar Palmas. Estimates of heritability (h²) were above 50%. The values of the ratio between the coefficient of genetic variation (CV_g) and the coefficient of environmental variation (CV_e) for RDMC, SC, and EYR were high.