Performance of sweet potato clones for bioethanol production in different cultivation periods

Abstract

Sweet potato is a perennial plant but cultivated as an annual crop. Thus, identifying the best period of cultivation is important for optimizing production, aiming human and animal consumption, as well as ethanol production. The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of sweet potato clones grown in different cultivation periods for the production of bioethanol. Plots consisted of three cultivation periods (3, 5 and 7 months), and the subplots of five sweet potato clones (accessions IBP-007, IBP-038, IBP-075, IBP-079 and IBP-149) and the cultivar Brazlândia Rosada, considering a split plot scheme. We studied the root dry mass, starch and amylose content and starch and ethanol yield. Clone IPB-007 showed high values for starch yield (6.63 t/ha) and ethanol yield (4,379 L/ha). For root dry mass (38.32%) and starch (26.70%) and etha,nol yield (176.26 L/t), clone IPB-149 stood out. There was no significant difference for amylose content. Starch content (13.94%) and starch (1.64 t/ha) and ethanol yield (1,034 L/ha and 92.04 L/t) were lower for most of the clones in the three-month period of cultivation. We recommend the five-month period of cultivation and clones IPB-007 and IPB-149.