PRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL OF Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni UNDER IRRIGATION CONDITIONS IN MÉXICO

Abstract

The increase in the national and international demand and low availability of prime materials of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) has generated initiatives to identify surfaces for its cultivation. To define the agroclimate conditions, a database in the *.shp format about soils, climate types, precipitation, temperature and altitude, was analyzed, to locate potential areas with suboptimal and optimal conditions. Based on the methodology used, in México there are more than three millions of hectares in suboptimal condition and more than one million in suboptimal level, so it is feasible to increase the cultivation of stevia in México, particularly in the region of the Pacific, Gulf and to a lesser degree in the Yucatan Peninsula.