Starch content variation in cassava cultivars during four harvesting seasons in Marechal Cândido Rondon, Brazil
Joel Weçolovis, Jair Rogério Unfried and Ricardo Montalván
Starch, the most important component in cassava, has been largely used by the food industry. This work aimed at evaluating the starch content variation (%) in six cultivars namely Fécula Branca, Olho Junto, Fibra, Verdinha, Espeto and Mico. Planting took place from October 1998 in Marechal Cândido Rondon, Brazil. Cultivars were sampled between the 7th and the 10th month of plant life. Starch content evaluation (%) was calculated by the hydrostatics scale method. Fécula Branca, Olho Junto and Fibra cultivars presented the largest amount of starch content, 29.7%, 29.1% and 29.1% respectively. The Mico cultivar, on the other hand, had the poorest performance regarding starch accumulation, 25.0%. As for the starch content profile along the periods studied, it was verified that the Fécula Branca, Olho Junto, Verdinha and Espeto showed a stable pattern, while the Fibra and Mico cultivars tended to develop more progressively.