Heritability and genetic variance estimates for agronomic traits and glycoside yield in four elite stevia breeding populations

Heritability estimates of traits assist breeders in optimizing cultivar development and can help predict gain from selection breeding programs. Narrow-sense heritabilities were measured agronomic glycoside concentration four elite stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) populations using half-sib family analysis. Gain at 20% intensity was estimated for morphological, yield, traits. Experiments conducted two field locations North Carolina. Variation observed across cultigens including stem height, branch width, leaf size, both subjective objective measurements. Yield, lodging resistance, disease percent survival showed a high genetic variation cultigens. In addition, glycosides Reb A, C, D also by cultigen. plant morphological highest moderate yield width. However, other such as area resistance low heritability (0.10). Glycosides D, stevioside total steviol (TSG) heritability. The per year height (24 mm/year), (131 mm2/year) (dry weight) (1.2 Mg/ha year) suggest significant improvements are possible cycle. TSG A (26.44 mg/g, 14.51%), C (20.20 20.17%), (1.70 1.49%), (6.73 10.72%), (20.90 mg/g), similarly, indicate gains