Beyond sweetness: Rethinking the use and conservation of Stevia rebaudiana ’s plant genetic resources for breeding

This work analyses the genetic potential of Stevia rebaudiana beyond its sweetening properties, aiming to reassess its conservation and utilization in breeding programmes. This focus is justified by the growing global demand for natural sweeteners and the challenges posed by extreme weather events and diseases affecting crop yield and quality. The relationship between the species’ genetic diversity and its response to biotic and abiotic stresses is explored, as well as the limitations of current conservation and breeding strategies. Findings reveal underutilized genetic resources, limited integration of genomic tools in breeding efforts and a lack of robust in situ conservation initiatives. Genotypic variability has been observed in response to diseases such as Septoria leaf spot, while abiotic factors, including salinity and drought, can significantly influence steviol glycoside content. It is concluded that an integrated approach, combining dynamic conservation, photoperiod‐informed breeding strategies, improvements in seed viability, omics‐based tools and coherent public policies, is essential to ensure crop resilience and genetic sovereignty, especially in regions of origin such as Paraguay. The sustainable use of Stevia ’s genetic diversity could foster more sustainable, healthier and fairer production systems.