Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) has been studied as feedstock for the
production of ethanol since 1997 by UFT. For twelve years, Sweet Potato culture
improving was conducted via polycrosses, in which pollinations are made at random with
insects, knowing, this way, only female genitor, resulting release of some cultivars. In last
couple years, gains in ethanol productivity and yielding have not been very significant.
Through biparental crosses, where crosses are performed between known parents with
desirable traits, was aimed to obtain, evaluate and select the best genotypes based on
roots and ethanol yield. Genotypes issued from UFT Sweet Potato breeding programme
were used in the crosses. The experiments were carried out at the Environmental
Technology Centre and Agroindustrial - CTAA/University Campus of Palmas and Gurupi/
Tocantins Federal University. In field, 100 genotypes were evaluated at two locations with
three replications. The traits evaluated were: average root yield (Mg ha-1), soil insect
damage, dry matter content of the roots of ethanol yield (m3 ha-1). Biparental crosses are
an effective strategy for the exploration of Sweet Potato genetic variability, yielding 73 new
genotypes. Genotypes BDI(199)73, BDI(2011)52 and cultivar Duda-89 with yields of 59,92
Mg ha-1, 53,20 Mg ha-1 and 52,04 Mg ha-1, dry matter content of 30,72%, 34,35%, 36,71%
and ethanol yields of 10,37 m3 ha-1, 10,85 m3 ha-1, 11,24 m3 ha-1, respectively, are
promising for ethanol production in Palmas. In Gurupi, those traits stood out: genotypes
BDI(2011)09, BDI(2011)72 and BDI(2011)83, with average productivities of 48,19 Mg ha-1,
43,49 Mg ha-1, 43,21 Mg ha-1, dry matter content of 32,93%, 31,87%, 31,49% and ethanol
yields with 9,35 m3 ha-1, 8,16 m3 ha-1 e 9,01 m3 ha-1, respectively. The trials uncovered
efficient genotypes such as BDI199-73, BDI(2011)52, BDI(2011)83 and the cultivar Duda-
89, with potential to be used in ethanol industry because of their excellent yield, dry matter
and soil insect resistance in both locations, promising to be efficient in ethanol industry.
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