Embrapa launches BRS F21 potato variety for industrial frying in Brazil

Embrapa has introduced a new potato cultivar, BRS F21, developed to meet the demands of both the production chain and the processing industry. The cultivar combines high yield potential, disease resistance and strong performance in frying applications, particularly for potato chips and shoestring potatoes.

Developed over more than ten years by the Potato Breeding Program, BRS F21 earned the nickname "Braschips" due to its high industrial yield and the superior quality of the fried products it produces.
 

Quality traits for industrial frying

Giovani Olegário, Researcher at Embrapa Vegetables:

"The cultivar is apt for industrial processing because it features two factors that offer excellent quality for frying when they are combined. The first one is its high dry-matter content, which means the tubers contain less water, resulting in chips that are drier and crispier."

"Secondly, the low sugar content stops the potato from caramelizing and ensures the product will have a lighter, more uniform color, which consumers prefer."

Olegário also highlighted the cultivar’s firm texture, characteristic flavor, light-yellow flesh and oval tuber shape as favorable attributes for high-quality frying. In addition, BRS F21 has shown a low incidence of physiological disorders such as internal spots and cracking, reducing processing losses and increasing industrial yield.

Preliminary industrial trials demonstrated strong performance for both potato chips and shoestring potatoes. The cultivar is currently undergoing larger-scale evaluations to confirm acceptance among growers supplying raw material for processing.
 

High yield, stability and adaptability

BRS F21 reaches the market with the potential to outperform leading competitors in yield, adaptability and performance stability across Brazil’s main potato-growing regions. These include the Triângulo Mineiro, one of the country’s most important potato supply areas for agro-industries in terms of volume.

The cultivar’s plant vigor and higher yield potential help reduce raw material costs for industrial processing. Its slightly longer production cycle allows for increased starch accumulation in the tubers, meeting industry requirements for frying quality.

At harvest, desiccation followed by an interval of around ten days is recommended to allow sugars to convert into starch, contributing to lighter-colored chips. Regular field monitoring toward the end of the crop cycle helps determine the optimal harvest point based on dry matter and frying quality.
 

Resistance to Potato Virus Y

A key competitive advantage of BRS F21 is its resistance to Potato Virus Y (PVY), one of the most significant phytosanitary challenges in Brazilian potato production. The virus, commonly known as mosaic, weakens plants and can significantly reduce yields, while also compromising seed quality due to vegetative propagation.

Low susceptibility to PVY helps maintain plant vigor across successive production cycles, representing an important advance for both seed and commercial potato producers. The cultivar also demonstrated good resistance to late blight and black spot, two major foliar diseases in southern Brazil’s potato-growing regions.
 

Diversification of Embrapa potato cultivars

Caroline Castro, Researcher and Head of the Potato Breeding Program at Embrapa:

"When we generate cultivars, we consider not only customer satisfaction, but also approval in the fields and in the industry, in order to obtain quality products that meet different demands."

Embrapa’s breeding strategy targets different market segments, covering fresh consumption and industrial processing, while also addressing adaptation to tropical and subtropical growing conditions. Cultivars are released with clear recommendations for their most suitable uses, such as frying, baking or salads, and for specific production systems, including organic farming.

Over the past decade, Embrapa has released several other potato cultivars alongside BRS F21, including BRS F63 Camila, BRS F183 Potira, BRS F50 Cecília and BRS Gaia. According to Castro, limited availability of cultivars adapted to Brazil’s climate, particularly heat tolerance, can restrict planting windows and processing supply, reinforcing the importance of continued breeding and genetic improvement.

The breeding and evaluation work behind BRS F21 was carried out through a partnership between Embrapa Temperate Agriculture and Embrapa Vegetables, with trials conducted at experimental stations in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, alongside evaluations by partner growers and processing industries across Brazil.