Journal Of Applied Horticulture ISSN: 0972-1045



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K. Umesha, G.R. Smitha, B.S. Sreeramu and A.A. Waman

Department of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vignan Kendra, Bengaluru-560065, Karnataka, India. Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research, Boriavi, Anand-387 310, Gujarat, India

Key words: Bio-fertilizers, glycoside content, green manures, organic manures, quality, stevia, yield.

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2011, volume 13, issue 2, pages 157-162.

Abstract: The influence of different organic manures, bio-fertilizers and green manures on growth, yield and glycoside content of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) was studied over a period of three years (2004-2007). Various organic supplements viz., farm yard manure (15 and 25 t ha-1), vermicompost (1 and 2 t ha-1), neem cake (0.5 and 1 t ha-1) and bio-fertilizers viz., Azospirillum, phosphorus solubilizing bacteria and VAM (each @ 0 and 10 kg ha-1) were applied. The results of eleven harvests revealed that all the growth parameters viz., plant height, number of branches and plant spread were influenced by various organics and bio-fertilizers and showed variation from season to season (harvest to harvest) and plants responses did not followed a definite trend. Dry leaf yield during first (6.16 t ha-1) and second year (4.34 t ha-1) of cropping was maximum with the treatment receiving FYM (25 t ha-1) + vermicompost (2 t ha-1) + neem cake (1 t ha-1) + bio-fertilizers (10 kg ha-1) and differed significantly. However, in third year of cropping the treatments had no significant influence on the dry leaf yield. Both the glycosides i.e., stevioside (7.8 %) and rebaudioside content (3.4 %), and glycoside yield were also highest in the above said treatment.



Journal of Applied Horticulture
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