Characterization of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Accessions Cultived in Southern Brazil

Felipe Francisco,Gabriely Pinto Pereira,Marília Pereira Machado,Luiz Alberto Kanis,Cícero Deschamps

doi:10.5539/jas.v10n3p353

Felipe Francisco, Gabriely Pinto Pereira + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v10n3p353

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Abstract

Stevia, a native species of South America, is commercially important as a source of the non-caloric diterpene glycosides stevioside and rebaudioside-A. Although it has been cultivated in southern Brazil, the production is not enough to meet the domestic market demand. This study evaluated biomass accumulation, morphological and physiological characters, and steviol glycosides yield of seven stevia accessions after two cuts. A great variation for the different plant characteristics was found between the first and second cuts. There was a positive correlation between biomass production and SGs content and productivity. The overall Principal Components Analysis results in both cuts indicate that the accessions CE7 and CE14 presented great Reb-A yield, height and lodging (%). The accessions CE4 and CE12 produced high Ste yield and accessions CE6, CE8 and CE9 the highest leaf:stem ratio and low SGs. The stevia accessions showed characteristics of the interest for crop improvement for both biomass and SGs production.

Highlights

The Stevia genus has about 230 species and Stevia rebaudiana, is a herbaceous plant popularly known as stevia with economic importance due the production of steviol diterpene glycosides (SGs) in the leaves, mainly stevioside (Ste) and rebaudioside-A (Reb-A) (Kinghorn, 2002; Mondança et al, 2012; Rieck, 2012)
In commercial crops of southern Brazil, Reb-A content varied from 0.46 to 12.23% and Reb-A:Ste ratio varied from 0.03 to 1.59 (Anami et al, 2010). These variations are due the fact that the highest percentage of diterpene glycosides are found in the leaves and it is highly correlated with plant genotype (Giraldo et al, 2005)
The dry leaf yield of all stevia accessions was higher in the first cut (2.8 to 4.0 t ha-1) compared to the second cut (0.7 to 1.3 t ha-1)

Summary

Introduction

The Stevia genus has about 230 species and Stevia rebaudiana, is a herbaceous plant popularly known as stevia with economic importance due the production of steviol diterpene glycosides (SGs) in the leaves, mainly stevioside (Ste) and rebaudioside-A (Reb-A) (Kinghorn, 2002; Mondança et al, 2012; Rieck, 2012). In commercial crops of southern Brazil, Reb-A content varied from 0.46 to 12.23% and Reb-A:Ste ratio varied from 0.03 to 1.59 (Anami et al, 2010). These variations are due the fact that the highest percentage of diterpene glycosides are found in the leaves and it is highly correlated with plant genotype (Giraldo et al, 2005)

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