ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI AND INDOLE-3-BUTYRIC ACID ON ROOTING AND GROWTH OF Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni STEM CUTTINGS

Resumen

Stevia is an herb used as a raw material to manufacture a low-calorie natural sweetener. Stevia plants are generally propagated by stem cuttings. Nonetheless, this method is not sufficient to meet global demand. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of applying an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) consortium and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), in both powder and solution, on the greenhouse propagation of stevia stem cuttings. Applying AMF and IBA promoted greater growth across the different parameters assessed in stevia stem cuttings, increasing mycorrhizal colonization, particularly arbuscule content in roots. Therefore, the use of AMF and IBA should allow the production of stevia stem cuttings with greater vigor in a shorter period of time, reducing crop production costs by optimizing the dosage and methods of plant hormone application.