Effect of harvesting times on agronomic characteristics of industrial cassava genotypes

Abstract

The use of cassava genotypes low-yield coupled with inappropriate harvest times lead to the country’s low average yield. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of cassava genotypes at different harvest times in the Recôncavo region of Bahia. The experiment was conducted during two crop cycles in Cruz das Almas, Bahia, with eight cassava genotypes (BRS Poti Branca, BRS Caipira, BRS Kiriris, BRS Verdinha, BRS Tapioqueira, 9624-09, 98150-06 and 9783-13) were evaluated at different harvest times. The characteristics yield of shoot, root, flour and starch, root dry matter and harvest index were evaluated, as well as their correlation with the harvest time. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and fitted to linear regression models. The means of all the characteristics increased with the permanence of the plants in the field. The correlations between the harvest time and yield characteristics were high and positive. All genotypes evaluated had yield means higher than the means of the Recôncavo and the state of Bahia, indicating the yield potential of the genotypes.