Potato cropping in Brazil has been using cultivars developed in temperate countries, especially from Europe. These cultivars are not completely adapted to the environmental Brazilian conditions, especially the shorter photoperiod, higher mean temperatures, lower fertility of soils, and higher pressure of pathogens and plagues. The objective of this study was to evaluate elite potato clones from the breeding program of Universidade Federal de Lavras which are more resistant to the most important diseases, with wide adaptation to the various planting seasons in south Minas Gerais State, and destined to the domestic use or industry. Six experiments were carried out in four localities in south Minas Gerais State during the dry, winter, and rainy seasons. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks with three replications 26 treatments (22 experimental clones and four control cultivars). Some clones presented desirable traits to be released as new cultivars to attend the various marketing needs. Clones NES 1-08 and PRM 348 could be indicated to the fresh market due to their good general tuber appearance and aptitude to multiple uses (frying, cooking, mashed potatoes) Clones CBM 9-10 and CBM 4-48 could be indicated to the frozen frying industry because of their high specific gravity, high percentage of large tubers and long tuber shape. Clones CBM 19-11 and CBM 16-16 could be indicated to the chip industry or "straw potato" industry, because they present round tubers and adequate specific gravity.
Solanum tuberosum L.; new clones; potato breeding
