The objective of this study was to identify the best time of desiccation of plants to promote skin quality without detriment of potato cultivar BRS Clara. The experiment was carried out at Embrapa Produtos e Mercado, Canoinhas, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. 'Agata' was used as the control cultivar. The treatments were four desiccation times (90, 95, 100, and 105 days after planting), in spring season. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications. Each plot consisted of four rows of ten plants each. Ten days after desiccation of plants, the two internal rows of each plot were harvested and the tubers evaluated for yield component, skin roughness, and tone coloration of tuber skin. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and regression. For BRS Clara, a desiccation of the plants should be done earlier to avoid losses in quality of the skin, especially in relation to the roughness of the tubers. The maximum date for desiccation was 100 days after planting of tubers to obtain tubers with skin quality and no further reduction in yield of tubers. For the control cultivar Agata, that presented better tuber appearance than BRS Clara, but lower yield, delaying the desiccation date up to 100 days of planting also seems appropriate, but not due to loss of quality of the skin, but by having reached the maximum yield.
Solanun tuberosum; tuber yield; tuber appearance
