Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 4(6), pp. 321-329. November, 2016.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2016.038

Full Length Research

Influence of plant population density on growth and yield of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni L.) at Wondo Genet South Ethiopia

Nebret Tadesse*¹, Aynalem Gebere¹, Belstie Lulie¹ and Melkamu Hordofa¹

¹Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center, EIAR, P.O. Box: 198, Shashemene, Ethiopia. Corresponding author email: nibrettadesse@gmai.com

Accepted 7 November 2016

An experiment was conducted at Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center in the production season of 2013/14 and 2014/15 with the objective of identifying the best combination of intra and inter-row spacing for optimum plant population density of stevia. The experiment was conducted using five intra-row spacing (20cm, 25cm, 30cm, 35cm, and 40cm) and three inter-row spacing (40cm, 50cm and 60cm) with a total treatment combination of fifteen that were laid out in factorial RCBD design with three replications. In 2013/14 cropping season the maximum fresh leaf weight (19467kg ha-1), fresh aboveground biomass (25002kg ha-1) and dry leaf weigh (7834kg ha-1) were obtained from the combined pacing of 20cm intra-row and 40cm inter-row spacing. In 2014/15 cropping season, the maximum fresh leaf weight (16470.1 kg ha-1) and (14433.9kg ha-1), fresh aboveground biomass (27547kg ha-1) and (23619.8kg ha-1) and dry leaf weight (4773.7 kg ha-1) and (4314.0 kg ha-1) were obtained from 20cm intra-row and 40cm inter-row spacing respectively. Although the study showed that the highest Stevia herbage yield per unit area was recorded from the combined spacing of 20cm intra-row and 40cm inter-row spacing, considering the difficult condition, we met during weeding and watering, we, therefore; suggest that the best combined intra-row and inter-row spacing for Stevia is 25cm x 40cm to attain maximum yield under appropriate management conditions at Wondo genet and similar locations.

Keywords: Stevia, Inter-row, Intra- row, Spacing, Plant population.


 

How to cite this article: Tadesse N, Gebere A, Lulie B, Hordofa M (2016). Influence of plant population density on growth and yield of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni L.) at Wondo Genet South Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 4(6): 321-329

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