Abstract:
The present study was conducted to optimize the green house conditions for
Propagation of Stevia rebaudiana cuttings. Stevia rebaudiana belonging to the family Asteraceae, is a
native to the Brazil and Paraguay. Its leaves produced stevioside, an a caloric natural sweetener. The
sweetness of stevioside was 150 -300 times greater than sucrose. Seeds of Stevia were very small in
size. Production of Stevia through seeds was not beneficial because seeds were not viable for
germination due to their infertility. In present study different concentrations of Naphthalene acetic acid
(NAA) and Indole Butyric acid (IBA) were used to study their effect on the rooting of Stevia
rebaudiana cuttings. Results showed that highest number of roots per cutting were observed to be 34.9
from 3% NAA solution, showing maximum root length, root number, shoot length and number of
nodes per cutting. Cuttings of Stevia rebaudiana responded well in NAA treatment as compared to the
IBA treatment. It was concluded that Naphthalene acetic acid was a better choice for enhanced rooting
and vegetative propagation of Stevia rebaudiana through stem cuttings.
