Tamanho amostral para o teor de massa seca e caracterização físico-química de clones de batata com aptidão para o processamento industrial na forma de chips

Abstract

Potatoes are a crop of economic and nutritional importance, being the fourth most consumed food in the world and the second most cultivated tuber in Brazil. A large part of the tuber production is destined for industry, within a market divided between fresh consumption and industrial processing (chips, pre-fried potatoes, and straw potatoes). The increased demand for processed products highlights potato frying derivatives. Therefore, the industry requires specific attributes for processed potatoes, such as: adequate dry mass content and biochemical content, as well as satisfactory technological characteristics and industrial yield. In this sense, the present study aimed to: estimate the ideal sample size to determine dry mass content and perform a physicochemical characterization of potato clones suitable for industrial processing. For this research, experiments were implemented in a randomized complete block design in Bambuí and Lavras, during the dry and winter growing seasons of 2025. Seven clones from the UFLA Potato Genetic Improvement Program and two controls (Asterix and Markies) were used. Data from the winter growing seasons of Lavras and Bambuí were used to estimate the ideal sample size. The specific gravity (SG) of samples of 50 tubers and the dry mass content were evaluated for sample sizes ranging from 100g to 1000g, with a progressive increase of 100g between samples. Analysis of variance was performed, and correlations between SG and each sample size were estimated. Data from the dry and winter growing seasons of Lavras and Bambuí were used for the study of physicochemical characterization. The following characteristics were evaluated: starch content (mg/g DM), reducing sugar content (mg/g DM), chip color (pixels), and specific gravity (g/cm3). All characteristics were subjected to individual and joint analysis of variance, from which adjusted means for each clone were obtained and compared with the means of the Asterix control. Increasing the sample size improved experimental precision; however, to avoid oversampling, 200 g samples represented the minimum efficient size, being statistically adequate and operationally viable. There was genetic and environmental variation for the traits starch content, chip color, and specific gravity; the latter two also showed interaction between clones and environments. Clones CCF23-01, CCF24-13, and CCF03-09 stood out among the others, indicating potential for recommendation as potato cultivars for industrial processing as chips.