Abstract
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana, L.) is receiving increasing global interest as a diabetes-focused herb associated with zero-calorie stevioside sweetener glycoside production. This study was conducted to determine whether the arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), as a biofertilizer integrated with nano boron (B), zinc (Zn), and molybdenum (Mo), would improve stevia growth and stevioside content. A factorial experiment with four replicates was conducted to evaluate the effect of AM at 0, 150, and 300 spore/g soil and three nano microelements B at 100 mg/L, Zn at 100 mg/L, and Mo at 40 mg/L on growth performance, stevioside, mineral contents, and biochemical contents of stevia. Results indicated that the combination of AM at 150 and B at 100 mg/L significantly increased plant height, number of leaves, fresh and dry-stem, and herbal g/plant during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. Chlorophyll content was increased by the combination between AM at 150 spore/g soil and B at 100 mg/L during both seasons. Stevioside content in leaves was increased by AM at 150 spore/g soil and B at 100 mg/L during the second season. In addition, N, P, K, Zn, and B in the leaf were increased by applying the combination of AM and nano microelements. Leaf bio constituent contents were increased with AM at 150 spore/g soil and B at 100 mg/L during both seasons. The application of AM and nano B can be exploited for high growth, mineral, and stevioside contents as a low-calorie sweetener product in stevia.
Highlights
Stevia is a perennial herb, whose co-products are widely used as a natural low-calorie sugar supplement for diabetic patients [1,2]
This study aims to determine the role of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) as a biofertilizer in improving plant growth and expanding the active ingredients of medicinal compounds of stevia, as well as to evaluate the role of B, Zn, and Mo as nano-form on growth aspects, chemical composition, and stevioside content in stevia plants
At 70 days after transplanting (DAT), plant height, number of branches, number of leaves per plant, and dry weight of leaves were compared with untreated control
Summary
Stevia is a perennial herb, whose co-products are widely used as a natural low-calorie sugar supplement for diabetic patients [1,2]. Its leaves are used to make sauces, herbal teas, soups, color enhancers, salads, fruit, and coffee, among others [3] it has a sweet taste due to the accumulation of di-terpene stevioside glycoside derivative with 300 times the Horticulturae 2021, 7, 260. Horticulturae 2021, 7, 260 sweetening capacity of saccharine [4]. Stevia helps to adjust blood pressure, fight cavities, increase insulin production in the pancreas, and acts as a bactericidal mediator without any potential side effects [5,6]. Under present management techniques, the production of stevia leaf biomass is both economically and environmentally incompatible
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