Seasonal Effects on Starch Contents Evaluated in Cassava Roots

Abstract

Starches have a wide range of uses and their consumption has increased over the years, resulting in a growth in the agro-industries that produce them. Cassava is a very important plant for agri-business and one of the main products obtained from its roots is starch. Although cassava can be harvested throughout the year, its quality varies greatly through the seasons; this is because it is influenced by soil and climatic factors, as well as the genetic characteristics of the species. These influences result in seasonal oscillations in root classification based on the starch content available at the time of product delivery. Faced with this problem, the objective of this study was the collection and evaluation of documentary data for 3 years of product quality samples. This was done in order to observe the situation and propose tools that can minimize problems resulting from the quality of raw material received by starch producers throughout the year. It was observed that in the winter period there was an increase in root starch content, despite the differences between the months not being statistically significantly, they are financially representative of this agro-industry sector. At the end of the study, a proposal for a methodology for calculating payment per gram of starch is presented in order to minimize the problem.