The Response of Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana L.) to Nitrogen and Phosphorous Fertilizer Rates at Menagesha, West Ethiopia

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, known as the "sweetest plant of the world", belongs to the family Asteracea and is native to the South American center of diversity. The world of sweetness has seen a sweeter change in the recent past with the introduction of stevia sugar obtained from leaves of stevia containing compounds about 250 to 300 times sweeter than the table sugar (Kumar, 2002). The substance of interest is stevioside, rebaudioside A and at least six other compounds that have glucosidal groups attached to a three-carbon ring central structure. Stevioside could be equivalent to the sweetening power of 28 tons per acre of sucrose sugar (Shock, 1982). Though these sugars have sweetening qualities, they have been found to contribute to calories and are not advised for the consumption by diabetic patients.