Adaptive strategy of Stevia rebaudiana to environmental change in tropical climate based on anatomy and physiology characteristics

Abstract. Khuluq AD, Widaryanto E, Ariffin, Nihayati E. 2022. Adaptive strategy of Stevia rebaudiana to environmental change in tropical climate based on anatomy and physiology characteristics. Biodiversitas 23: 5710-5717. High solar radiation air temperature are the main influencing factors for plant growth development climates. This study's objective was understand stevia adaptation microclimate changes at several altitudes The study conducted a completely randomized design with altitude differences consisting highlands, medium lands, lowlands ten replicates. results showed that exposed temperatures above 20oC during highlands by 36.46%, lands 92.85%-93.96%. Meanwhile, 30oC is 17.98% highest others. adapts high increasing stomatal density, trichomes, photosynthesis rate. Moreover, decreasing stomata (width, aperture, open percentage), leaf thickness, palisade length, xylem diameter, conductance, transpiration shows good adaptability rate, percentage 93.15%, thickness 382.56 µm, diameter 30.97 which no different from highlands. Thus, have potential as new area climate, considering increasingly competitive use agricultural land