IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN NO: 2394-8442

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT GROWING MEDIA ON STEVIA CUTTINGS

FOR REGENERATION AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE

Pooja K.Padhiyar.1, Mayuri C.Rathod. 2, Udutha J.3, Mali S. C. 4

1 Bhagwan Mahavir College of Science & Technology, Biotechnology Department, Vesu, Surat (Gujarat)
2 Departments of Biotechnology, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat 395007

3Main Sugarcane Research Station, Navsari Agriculture University, Navsari

4 Main Sugarcane Research Station, Navsari Agriculture University, Navsari

1E-mail: pcd3797@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The experiment was carried out to study the suitability of growing media for survival and growth performance of
stevia cuttings at tissue culture laboratory, Main Sugarcane Research Station, Navsari Agriculture University, Navsari,
Gujarat, India. Results indicate that the compatibility of soil mixture with various growing media is accompanying the survival
% and growth parameters. Highest survival% was observed in Treatment T6 (soil + sand + cocopeat + vermicompost
1:1:1:1), 86.20% in association with growth parameters, no. of branches 8.20. Poor survival rate and growth performance
was observed in Treatment T1 (soil +sand 1:1) for most of the growth parameters under study. Growing media significantly
influenced survival percentage, growth and development of stevia. Components of best treatment media soil, sand, cocopeat,
vermicompost played prominent role for growth and development.

KEYWORDS: sand, coco peat, vermicomposting, survival rate, growth parameters

INTRODUCTION
Stevia rebaudiana is a perennial herbaceous native plant from Paraguay and Brazil (Sivaram and Mukundab, 2003; Jain
et al., 2009). It is also known as sweet herb. It is an alternative substitute to cane and beet sugar (Ahmed et al, 2011). Stevia
plant grows well in different climatic conditions and soil types. A leaf of stevia plants contain several different natural
diterpene glycosides compounds responsible for the sweet taste sensation with potential use for diabetic patients and has
potential properties as regulation of sugar levels in blood, anti-hypertensive, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant effect. Stevia
leaves contain steviosides and glycosides compounds. Several studies had been carried by WHO on this vital crop. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States of America has allowed the use of steviol glycosides and stevia and its
derivatives have been incorporated as an ingredient.

Management of stevia cultivation on large scale is not well understood regards to soil requirement and irrigation
schedule. It grows well where the amount of day light hours and high light intensity with warm temperature. Micro climatic
conditions play critical role in crop cultivation. It is also known as fertilization enhances Stevia photosynthetic activity (Liu
X. et al, 2014). Agricultural factors such as spacing and transplanting date have critical effects on quantitative and qualitative
characteristics of plants (Naghdi badi et al., 2004)

This experiment was conducted in order to study the suitability of various soil mixtures for commercial cultivation
of stevia through cuttings. The objective of this work is to study the effect of different soil amendments on survival
percentage and growth parameters with regarding to commercial biomass production of plant.

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IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN NO: 2394-8442

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This experiment was conducted out at Tissue Culture Laboratory Main Sugarcane Research Centre, NAU, Navsari,
during June-September 2017. Navsari comes under West Coastal region of Gujarat, India. Weather remains hot during
summer and cold during winter with average humidity of 56%. Soil material plays an important role on survival percentage
and growth parameters of stevia. The experiment was conducted to evaluate suitability of different rooting mixtures on
growth. Experimental treatments composed of following combinations of different growing media.T0- control (regular soil),
T1- soil + sand (1:1), T2- soil + FYM (1:1), T3- soil + sand + FYM (1:1:1), T4- soil + sand + Cocopeat(1:1:1), T5- soil + sand
+ FYM + cocopeat (1:1:1:1), T6- soil + sand +cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1:1:1).

Transplanting of cutting was done on 2nd week of June 2017 in different media prepared in blocks. The blocks were
immediately irrigated after transplanting of cuttings. Soil moisture was maintained by facilitating proper subsurface drainage
system. Irrigation schedule was prepared as per the soil water holding capacity of each block. All the treatments were
implemented in triplicate with three replications analysed in RBD. Each treatment was composed of 30 plants. All the
observation on survival of cuttings was recorded and randomly selected five plants for growth parameters. The data on
survival percentage of cuttings was recorded according to mortality percentage of cuttings. Growth parameters studied were
plant height (cm) at 50 days before flowering, number of branches, no of leaves at the time of end of vegetative phase.

Table1. Survival % and Growth Parameters

Treatment Survival % Plant Height No. of Branches No. of Leaves
(cm)
T0 52.80 13.00 4.00 14.00
T1 46.20 12.00 2.60 20.00
T2 63.50 8.00 5.80 22.00
T3 78.50 16.00 6.20 26.00
T4 72.60 21.03 7.40 16.00
T5 84.80 22.60 6.20 32.00
T6 86.20 20.80 8.20 28.00
SEM 2.139 0.611 0.283 1.054
CD at 5% 6.59 1.88 0.87 3.25
CV 5.35 6.53 8.51 8.09

T0- Control; T1- Soil + sand (1:1), T2- Soil + FYM (1:1), T3 - Soil + sand + FYM (1:1:1), T4- Soil + sand + cocopeat
(1:1:1), T5 - Soil + sand + cocopeat + FYM (1:1:1:1), T6 -Soil + sand + cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1:1:1)
Figure 1 Bar chart of Survival % and Plant Height
100
90
80
70
60
50 Survival %
40 Plant Height (cm)
30
20
10
0
T0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

Figure 2: Bar chart of No. of Branches and No. of Leaves

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IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN NO: 2394-8442

35

30

25

20
No. of Branches
15 No. of Leaves

10

0
T0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

As shown in table 1, treatment T6 was found to be the best followed by T5. Highest survival% of cuttings (86.20)
was observed in T6 (soil + sand + cocopeat + vermicompost 1:1:1:1), best performance might be due to good nutrient
supply through vermicompost (Campos et al) and good water holding capacity by cocopeat + vermicompost. Due to
available nutrient supply at vegetative phase enhance hormonal balance (ABA) for more number of branches. Combination
of cocopeat, sand and vermicompost may develop soil aggregates to loosely adhere leading to granulation. Loose soil
aggregates may lead to permeability of water and airflow in the beds. Soil temperature was regulated by vermicompost
incorporated as active ingredients to the rooting mixture. The improvement of soil porosity, water holding capacity, drainage,
soil permeability and water availability with decreasing soil and water availability with decreasing soil density is due to
presence of vermicompost and cocopeat in growing media has provided support for fast growth of cuttings due to availability
of better nutrition, optimum moisture and air in rhizosphere. Therefore good physical and biological condition at root zone
enhances growth and yield.

There was significant difference amongst growth parameters such as maximum plant height (22.60 cm) was
observed in treatment T5 followed by treatment T6 (20.80 cm), same treatment exhibited positive significant effect for no.
of leaves/plant (32.00), this treatment is at par with the highly positive significant best treatment (T6), Similar results were
also reported by Anand sing et al, 2015. The results are in agreement with the synergetic and combinational effect of both
factors in improving the physical condition of media and nutrient status. The medium with vermicompost and cocopeat is
more suitable because of the better physical properties and enhanced nutrient level.

Significant differences were also observed among the different treatments for plant height (22.60 cm) in T5 followed
by T6, no. of branches (8.20) in T6 followed by treatment T5 (6.20). Maximum no. of leaves were observed in treatment T5
(32.00) followed by T6 (28.00).

CONCLUSION
Growth media plays significant role in survival % of stevia cuttings. Among all the treatment combinations,
treatment T6 (soil + sand + cocopeat + vermicompost 1:1:1:1) was found to be best for growth and developmental
characters. Hence, soil, sand, cocopeat, vermicompost in equal proportion is recommended as good growing media for
successful stevia production on large scale.

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IAETSD JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN APPLIED SCIENCES ISSN NO: 2394-8442

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Authors are thankful to Directorate of Research, Navsari Agriculture University, and Navsari for support to carry out this
work.

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