The aim of this work was to study the possibility to select potato clones for French fries based on selection indices. The experiments were conducted in Pelotas, RS, and Canoinhas, SC. A set of elite clones belonging to the Embrapa Potato Breeding Program (F53-01-06, F85-01-06, F74-26-06, F81-01-06, F63-01-06, F52-02-06, F7423-06, F79-01-06, F68-04-06, F80-03-06) and control cultivars Ágata and Asterix were evaluated. The experiments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications and plots with two rows of 10 plants. The traits vine maturity, mass marketable tubers, number of marketable tubers, mass percentage of marketable tubers, average tuber weight, specific weight and color of fried sticks. The data were submitted to individual and joint analysis of variance. The direct gain and gain by selection indices of Smith and Hazel, Pesek and Baker and Williams, and the distances to the ideotype were estimated. It was found that it is possible to use selection indices based on genotypic standard deviation in the selection of potato clones for frying. The distance to the ideotype was the best selection index, allowing positive gains to all the characters in both places.
Solanum tuberosum L.; yield; fried stick color; specific gravity; vine maturity
