Sains Malaysiana 51(7)(2022): 2013-2023

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5107-06

Development of Stevia rebaudiana Hybrids through Trigona-Assisted Pollination

(Pembangunan Hibrid Stevia rebaudiana melalui Pendebungaan Berbantukan Trigona)

HALIMATON SAADIAH OTHMAN & ZARINA ZAINUDDIN^*

Department of Plant Science, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University

Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia

Received: 1 March 2021/Accepted: 13 January 2022

Abstract

Hybridization is an important method to widen variations and to develop novel varieties in plants. The increasing interest in Stevia rebaudiana over the last decade soared by its potential as an alternative source of sugar. In this study, improvement in stevia has been conducted through hybridization using Trigona for the development of stevia hybrids. Trigona, which consists of small to medium-sized bees, is usually found in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. They are common visitors to flowering plants and pose an important function as crop pollinators. A field experiment was conducted using 17 stevia accessions (From Malaysia and Paraguay), and F₁ hybrids were morphologically and chemically evaluated. Among the F₁ individuals, a wide range of variability with regards to qualitative and quantitative morphological parameters was observed. A selection of F₁ hybrids namely MS007HYB1, MS007HYB2, LangatHYB, EireteIIHYB, NilaiHYB1, NilaiHYB2, and NilaiHYB3 was made based on their promising features. Improvements were observed in total stevioside content for MS007HYB1 (45%) and MS007HYB2 (30%), rebaudioside content for MS007HYB2 (4.2%), NilaiHYB2 (3.8%), NilaiHYB3 (3.6%) and LangatHYB (14.4%), and delay in flowering for MS007HYB1 (46 days), MS007HYB2 (46 days), LangatHYB (51 days), EireteHYB (47 days), NilaiHYB1 (49 days), NIlaiHYB2 (46 days) and NilaiHYB3 (46 days) when compared to their respective mother plants.

Keywords: Hybridization; hybrids; Stevia rebaudiana; Trigona

Abstrak

Hibridisasi adalah satu kaedah yang penting bagi meningkatkan variasi dan membangunkan varieti tanaman baharu. Tumpuan pada Stevia rebaudiana semenjak beberapa dekad yang lalu dicetuskan oleh potensinya sebagai sumber gantian kepada gula. Dalam kajian ini, penambahbaikan stevia telah dijalankan melalui hibridisasi menggunakan Trigona bagi membangunkan hibrid stevia. Trigona yang terdiri daripada lebah berukuran kecil ke sederhana biasanya terdapat di kawasan tropika dan subtropika di dunia. Trigona merupakan pengunjung biasa bagi tanaman berbunga dan turut berperanan penting sebagai pendebunga. Uji kaji lapangan telah dijalankan menggunakan 17 aksesi stevia (dari Malaysia dan Paraguay) dan hibrid F₁ telah dinilai secara morfologi serta analisis kimia. Dalam kalangan individu F₁, pelbagai variasi merujuk kepada parameter morfologi kualitatif serta kuantitatif dapat diperhatikan. Pemilihan tujuh hibrid F₁ iaitu MS007HYB1, MS007HYB2, LangatHYB, EireteIIHYB, NilaiHYB1, NilaiHYB2 dan NilaiHYB3 telah dibuat berdasarkan kepada ciri-ciri yang berpotensi. Penambahbaikan diperhatikan pada keseluruhan kandungan steviosida bagi MS007HYB1 (45%) dan MS007HYB2 (30%), kandungan rebaudiosida untuk MS007HYB2 (4.2%), NilaiHYB2 (3.8%), NilaiHYB3 (3.6%) dan LangatHYB (14.4%), dan kelewatan berbunga untuk MS007HYB1 (46 hari), MS007HYB2 (46 hari), LangatHYB (51 hari), EireteHYB (47 hari), NilaiHYB1 (49 hari), NIlaiHYB2 (46 hari) dan NilaiHYB3 (46 hari) jika dibandingkan dengan induk masing-masing.

Kata kunci: Hibrid; hibridisasi; Stevia rebaudiana; Trigona

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^*Corresponding author; email: zzarina@iium.edu.my