With the objective of evaluating sweet potato cultivars under different harvest periods, one experiment was carried at the Gorutuba Experimental Field, Porteirinha-MG, Brazil, from November 1990 to June 1991. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a 5x2 factorial arrangement with four replications. The first factor consisted of five cultivars (Brazlândia Branca, Brazlândia Rosada, Brazlândia Roxa, Princesa and Paulistinha) and the second one of two harvest times (150 and 200 days after planting). For the harvest at 150 days after planting, the cv. Brazlândia Branca yielded 62.7% more (22.84 ton/ha), than the cv. Brazlândia Roxa (14.44 ton/ha). For the harvest at 200 days after planting, the cv. Paulistinha had the highest yield (54.50 ton/ha), and cv. Brazlândia Rosada had the lowest yield, 55.0% less productive than the cv. Paulistinha. The cv. Brazlândia Roxa showed the highest non-commercial yield of 7.76 and 12.38 ton/ha, respectively, for the harvests at 150 and 200 days after planting. The mean root weight, renged from 220.12 to 504,95 g, and all the cultivars showed higher percentage of big roots (400-800 g/root) when harvested later. cv. Paulistinha, Brazlândia Rosada and Brazlândia Branca can be harvested 150 days after planting. cv. Princesa can be harvested at 150 days of planting extended up to 200 days due to its lowest yield of big roots. cv. Brazlândia Roxa, harvested at 200 days after planting, had the best performance.
Ipomoea batatas; root tuber; yield
