Growth and flowering response of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) to pinching and nitrogen

Date

6-2015

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Major Course

Major in Horticulture

College

College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Bong M. Salazar

Abstract

Stevia is a small perennial herb popular to its steviol glycosides sequestered in the leaves. The concentration of steviosides is highest during active vegetative growth but decreases towards or at flowering/reproductive stage. An experiment was conducted from August to October 2014 in Los Baños, Laguna to describe the growth and flowering response of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) to four treatments involving pinching and/or nitrogen (N) fertilizer application. Treatment A served as the control, wherein plants were neither pinched nor provided with N fertilizer. Plants in Treatment B were not pinched, but were provided with N fertilizer (2 g urea per plant). In Treatments C, pinching was done when at least 50% of the plants exhibited visible morphological signs of transition to flowering. Lastly, plants in Treatment D were pinched at the same time with Treatment C and then provided with N fertilizer thereafter. Pinching and application of urea were repeated as Treatments C and D flowered again. The results suggest that the best treatment to control flowering of stevia is Treatment D. Best response was observed on (pinching + nitrogen treatment): low flowering percentage (40% vs. 100% of the other three treatments), highest number of laterals (23 lateral shoots) and leaf dry weight (3.91 g), and highest returns per plant (fresh leaves: PhP 8.59 for 14.31 g, dry leaves: PhP 7.82 for 3.91 g).

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2015 A3 /I36

Document Type

Thesis

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