Development of Stevia rebaudiana Hybrids Through Trigona-Assisted Pollination

Hybridization is an important method to widen variations and develop novel varieties in plants. The increasing interest Stevia rebaudiana over the last decade soared by its potential as alternative source of sugar. In this study, improvement stevia has been conducted through hybridization using Trigona for development hybrids. Trigona, which consists small medium-sized bees, usually found tropical subtropical parts world. They are common visitors flowering plants pose function crop pollinators. A field experiment was 17 accessions (From Malaysia Paraguay), F1 hybrids were morphologically chemically evaluated. Among individuals, a wide range variability with regards qualitative quantitative morphological parameters observed. selection namely MS007HYB1, MS007HYB2, LangatHYB, EireteIIHYB, NilaiHYB1, NilaiHYB2, NilaiHYB3 made based on their promising features. Improvements observed total stevioside content MS007HYB1 (45%) MS007HYB2 (30%), rebaudioside (4.2%), NilaiHYB2 (3.8%), (3.6%) LangatHYB (14.4%), delay (46 days), (51 EireteHYB (47 NilaiHYB1 (49 NIlaiHYB2 days) when compared respective mother