What is Stevia rebaudiana?
This article provides an overview of what Stevia rebaudiana is, along with some tips on its cultivation and maintenance. Here are the details:
Stevia rebaudiana is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family and the Stevia genus. The plant grows to a height of 1-1.3 meters, with thickened roots, an upright stem, slightly woody at the base, and tender at the top. The corolla is light purple-red or white at the base, with linear achenes. The flowering period is from July to September, and the fruiting period is from September to November. The sugar extracted from its leaves is characterized by high sweetness and low calories, and is commonly used in food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and liquor production. Today, let's talk about the characteristics, cultivation techniques, and pest and disease control measures of Stevia rebaudiana.
I. Characteristics
1. Stevia rebaudiana is adaptable and not picky about soil, with fertile and moist sandy loam being the best for cultivation.
2. Stevia rebaudiana prefers warm and humid conditions, and is drought-intolerant, with the optimal growth temperature being 20-25 degrees Celsius.
3. Stevia rebaudiana is a short-day plant and will not flower and set fruit normally if exposed to long daylight hours, so short-day treatment is necessary.
II. Cultivation Techniques
1. Seedling Raising
(1) Sow seeds from late March to early April, remove the seed head hair before sowing, and soak the seeds in a 50% carbendazim solution (250 times) for 12 hours to sterilize, then dry them before sowing.
(2) Level and refine the seedbed, apply decomposed organic fertilizer during land preparation, and spray the seedbed soil with a 50% oxamyl solution (500 times) for disinfection.
(3) Broadcast the seeds evenly on the ridge surface and then gently press them with a board to ensure close contact with the soil.
(4) Water immediately after sowing and use a small plastic arch shed to cover and increase temperature.
(5) After 5-7 days of seedlings emerging, control the temperature and humidity inside the arch shed, using ventilation measures to keep the temperature within 20-25 degrees Celsius.
(6) When the seedlings have 4 true leaves, start ventilating to harden the seedlings, and when they have 6-8 true leaves, they can be transplanted to the field.
2. Field Management
(1) Field planting is done in mid-to-late May.
(2) Before planting, apply organic fertilizer in furrows and apply 20 kg of compound fertilizer per mu.
(3) Planting spacing is 15 cm by 50 cm, with 8,500 to 10,000 plants per mu.
(4) After the seedlings are established, pinch the tips when they reach 15 cm tall to promote branching and increase yield.
(5) The first top-dressing is done 15 days after the seedlings are established, and the second one is done during the rapid growth period of the plants (early July). Apply 15 kg of urea and 15 kg of potassium sulfate per mu each time, and then spray foliar fertilizer every 15 days, using fertilizers such as Gao Mei Shi, American God Water, or Can Mei brand yield-increasing agents.
3. Pest and Disease Control
(1) The main pests and diseases of Stevia rebaudiana include white rot, damping off, leaf spot, black spot, aphids, corn borer, soybean pod borer, grubs, and mole crickets.
(2) White Rot Control: Spray the stem base with a 50% carbendazim wettable powder solution (700 times) or use a 50% thiophanate-methyl solution (800 times) for control.
(3) Damping Off Control: Spray with carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl (700 times) or use agricultural streptomycin (5 million units) diluted in 15-25 kg of water for control, or use a 70% oxamyl solution (250 times) for control.
(4) Leaf Spot and Black Spot Control: Spray with carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl (1000 times) or agricultural streptomycin for control.
(5) Aphid Control: Spray with a 50% dimethoate solution (800 times) for control.
(6) Corn Borer and Soybean Pod Borer Control: Spray with a 2000 times solution of fenvalerate or a 1000 times solution of dichlorvos for control.
(7) Soil Pest Control: Apply 1.5 kg of furantran per mu during field preparation for control.
4. Harvesting and Drying
Harvest the plants during the bud formation stage (around mid-September) on a sunny day.
The comprehensive method described above about what Stevia rebaudiana is and understanding its cultivation points aims to provide a starting point to solve your green plant problems.