Uso do Clorofilômetro e Sua Relação Com a Cultura da Batata

The main objective of this work was to investigate the use of a portable chlorophyll meter to estimate production and its relationship with the productivity of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Potato is one of the main food crops in the world, being widely consumed in Brazil and around the world. In order to achieve high yields, genetic improvement and advances in agriculture have played a fundamental role, mainly with the appearance of technologies, such as the portable chlorophyll meter, which is a precision agricultural equipment that allows measuring the chlorophyll content present in the leaves quickly and directly, without the need to destroy them. By analysing the biology between the chlorophyll index, the productivity and the dry matter content in the leaves of the potato crop, it is possible to obtain valuable information about the plant health of the plants and their production potential. Understanding this relationship allows implementing more accurate and effective management strategies to maximize crop yields and optimize agricultural production. Seeking to understand this, an experiment was improved with the potato crop divided into 156 plots, with 5 plants each and 44 different potato clones in the Olericulture Sector of IFMG - CAMPUS BAMBUÍ, where five collections of chlorophyll content were carried out during the stages phenological II, III and IV. Later, the evolution between the chlorophyll index and the productivity was carried out and also with the dry matter produced by the tubers. The chlorophyll index presented in the leaves did not present expressively with the dry matter and tuber production. Under the conditions in which this work was carried out, the use of the chlorophyll meter did not prove to be an adequate tool to manage the production of the potato crop.