Ana Cristina Richter Krolow

Yield and quality of strawberry cultivars

The strawberry cultivation is an important economic activity in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, however the number of offered cultivars to the growers is reduced. The yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivars Camarosa, Galexia, Earlibrite, Festival, Plarionfre and Sabrosa was evaluated under the climatic conditions of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State. We determined the number, mass, total soluble solids (TSS oBrix), total titratable acidity (TTA), antocianin level and fresh fruits produced in an experimental unit. We also determined the production of fruits per hectare and per plant. The statistical design used in the experiment was of completely randomized blocks with 6 treatments (cultivars) and 4 replicates where the experimental unit was composed of 8 plants. The harvest began in the first half of August, extending to the second half of December, totalling 20 weeks. Plarionfre, Earlibrite and Festival cultivars showed higher production from the first half of October until the end of the first half of November. Camarosa reached higher productivity, mass of plants and fruit weight. There were no differences between the evaluated cultivars in the levels of TSS, antocianin, ATT and pH during the period of evaluation.

Características físico-químicas e sensoriais de batata frita da cultivar BRS Ana branqueada e revestida com metilcelulose

O estudo propos avaliar o efeito do branqueamento combinado ao uso de sais e de revestimentos a base de metilcelulose (MC) na absorcao de gordura e nas caracteristicas fisico-quimicas e sensoriais de batatas da cultivar BRS Ana, submetidas a fritura na forma de batata chips. O experimento foi realizado com a cultivar BRS Ana e a cultivar Asterix, sendo a batata Asterix adequada para produtos fritos. Para o estudo foram definidos controles para as batatas das cultivares BRS Ana (T0’) e Asterix (T0”), batatas que nao foram submetidas ao branqueamento nem a qualquer tipo de revestimento. Foram testados tres tratamentos para cada cultivar; para a cultivar BRS Ana: T1: com branqueamento e sem revestimento; T2: com branqueamento e com revestimento de 1% de MC; T3: com branqueamento e com revestimento de 2% de MC; para a cultivar Asterix: T4: com branqueamento e sem revestimento; T5: com branqueamento e com revestimento de 1% de MC; T6 com branqueamento e com revestimento de 2% de MC. Para os tratamentos que receberam o branqueamento (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 e T6), foi realizada uma imersao das fatias de batata em agua a 85 oC por 3 minutos, com adicao de 0,5% de CaCl2 e 2,5% de NaCl, seguida de resfriamento e centrifugacao. As batatas dos tratamentos T2, T3, T5 e T6 que receberam revestimento de MC foram imersas em solucao de MC 1 ou 2% (p/v), por 1 min e, em seguida, drenadas. As batatas foram submetidas a fritura em gordura vegetal a 180 oC. A maior reducao de absorcao de gordura (13%) durante a fritura foi para batata da cultivar BRS Ana submetida ao branqueamento e revestimento com 1% MC, obtendo-se no produto final 29,37% de gordura. Alem disso, o revestimento com 1% MC nao modificou significativamente a cor e a textura das batatas chips; nos resultados sensoriais esse tratamento nao influenciou na preferencia para os atributos testados (aparencia, cor, sabor e textura) e o indice de aceitacao sensorial desse tratamento foi de 85,9%. A batata da cultivar BRS Ana submetida ao branqueamento adicionado de NaCl e CaCl2 e revestimento com 1% de MC apresenta potencial de utilizacao na forma de batata chips.

Composição mineral em genótipos de batata-doce de polpas coloridas e adequação de consumo para grupos de risco

Abstract The objective of this work was to quantify the minerals present in coloured pulp sweet potato genotypes, selected and cultivated by Embrapa (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria), in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, as well as checking their percentage adequacy for consumption by groups at nutritional risk. The following sweet potato genotypes grown in the Active Germplasm Bank were analysed in triplicate: white pulp (Rubissol, ILS 12, ILS 10 and ILS 24); cream pulp (Cuia, ILS 03 and ILS 44); yellow/orange pulp (Amelia and Beauregard); and purple pulp (ILS 56, ILS 16 and ILS 71). The minerals were quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry and expressed as mg of the corresponding mineral per 100 g -1 of fresh weight. The percentages of adequacy of the recommended daily intake of each genotype for risk groups (children between 4 and 8 years old and pregnant women between 19 and 30 years old) based on the consumption of an average portion of 200 g per day, were calculated. The sweet potatoes showed great variation in the minerals amongst the genotypes, and potassium was the most abundant in all of them, especially in the genotypes ILS 44, ILS 56 and ILS 71. The purple coloured genotypes stood out for their potassium contents and the cream coloured genotypes for their phosphorus contents. The consumption of a portion about 200 g of any sweet potatoes would provide 28% of the magnesium requirement for children, aged 4 to 8 years, and about 20% of the daily requirement of magnesium and 10% of potassium, for pregnant women.