Selection of promising sweet potato clones using projective mapping

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Science
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Growing demand for sweet potatoes in temperate climates necessitates new cultivar development.
• Consumer expectations require consideration of sensory characteristics in breeding programs.
• Simple, cost-effective sensory evaluation methods are needed for quality assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key sensory characteristics of different sweet potato genotypes.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of projective mapping for sensory analysis.
• To identify promising genotypes for future breeding.

Main Methods:

• Projective mapping was employed using an untrained consumer panel.
• Two commercial cultivars and seven clones were evaluated over three years.
• Sensory terms for texture and flavor were selected by assessors.

Main Results:

• Projective mapping successfully discriminated between sweet potato genotypes.
• Genotypes were differentiated based on texture (firmness, moisture, smoothness, creaminess) and flavor (intensity, sweetness, bitterness).
• Similarities and differences among genotypes were identified, providing data for future crossings.

Conclusions:

• Projective mapping is a quick, cost-effective, and reliable tool for evaluating sweet potato sensory characteristics.
• This method aids in selecting advanced sweet potato clones with superior sensory attributes.
• The study identified superior clones compared to INIA Arapey and Cuarí cultivars.