LAUSR

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to evaluate advanced potato clones for tuber yield, frying quality, plant vigor, and maturity, grown from minituber seeds, and to assess correlations between these traits. Eight advanced potato clones of Embrapa Potato Breeding Program (F11-09-03, F05-11-03, F54-11-06, F141-11-01, C2718-12-09, C2718-24-09, C2743-09-09, and CL308) and three commercial cultivars (Agata, Asterix and BRSIPR Bel) were evaluated. Experiments were carried out in autumn 2017, in Canoinhas-SC and Pelotas-RS. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used. We used tuber seeds type IV (minibubers). We evaluated plant vigor, maturity, yield and number of marketable tubers, yield and number of total tubers, average tuber weight, specific gravity, and frying color. Individual and joint variance analyses revealed significant differences (p <0.05) among genotypes for all traits at both locations. The GxE (genotype x environment) interaction was significant for all traits. For the two locations together, clones F05-11-03, C2718-12-09, C2718-24-09 and the control cultivar BRSIPR Bel showed higher marketable tuber yields. The first two clones also showed tubers with high average tuber weight. Clone F54-11-06 showed the later maturity at both locations. Regarding the frying quality characteristics, only clone F141-11-01 showed a pattern comparable to that of the control cultivar Asterix. Also, clones with higher plant vigor had higher tuber yield, but late maturity. Frying quality traits were not correlated between them and among other traits.