In the literature there is little information about the main chicory cultivars (Cichorium intybus) grown in Brazil. The present paper aims to evaluate the agronomic performance of the chicory cultivars in the region of Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil. Catalonha, Folha Amarela, Folha Larga and Pão-de-Açúcar cultivars were evaluated, in an experiment carried out in field conditions in the Experimental Center of the Instituto Agronômico, from December 2009 to January 2010. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 4 replications. At 50 days after transplanting five plants of each plot were evaluated for the height, leaf number, fresh and dry weight and two of these plants were evaluated for leaf area. The flavor with and without seasoning was evaluated by six tasters. The cultivars showed significant differences, regarding plant height, leaf area and flavor. Pão-de-Açúcar cultivar presented in magnitude higher yield (516.0 g plant-1) followed by Folha Amarela cultivar (432.7 g plant-1). This cultivar is an alternative to the chicory market, since it presents performance similar to the main cultivars grown in São Paulo state.
Cichorium intybus; yield; seedlings; beds
