🍬 Stevia
Stevia cultivation, leaf sweetness compounds, and crop management for natural sweetener production.
Stevia is a high-value natural sweetener crop grown for steviol glycosides in leaves, especially in health-food and diabetic-friendly product chains.
Crop Importance
Stevia rebaudiana leaves contain sweet compounds (stevioside group) with very high sweetness intensity and low caloric contribution.
The crop supports food, nutraceutical, and specialty processing industries.
Climate and Soil
Stevia performs best in warm subtropical climates with good light and moderate moisture.
Preferred field conditions:
- Well-drained fertile loam/sandy loam.
- Slightly acidic to neutral pH (6 to 7).
- No waterlogging.
Propagation and Planting
Commercial multiplication is mainly vegetative through stem cuttings to maintain sweetness traits.
Good practices:
- Use elite mother stock.
- Raise rooted cuttings.
- Plant on raised beds at close spacing.
Nutrient, Irrigation, and Crop Care
- Heavy organic manure at land preparation.
- Balanced NPK with split N application.
- Frequent light irrigation (micro-sprinklers are suitable).
- Mulching helps moisture conservation and temperature buffering.
Harvest, Drying, and Yield
First cut can be taken around 4 months after planting, with subsequent cuts by regrowth cycle.
Quality points:
- Harvest before peak flowering for better glycoside profile.
- Dry rapidly with good aeration.
- Protect dried leaves from moisture during storage.
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Topic | Exam Key Point |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Stevia rebaudiana |
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Economic part | Leaf |
| Key compound | Stevioside |
| Best propagation | Vegetative stem cuttings |
| Optimal pH | 6 to 7 |
References
2 sources • [1] [2]
References
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