**5. Looking forward or future perspective**

The increasing demand for natural low-calorie sweeteners in the personal hygiene and food industry has increased the pressure over stevia cultivation. Bitter taste due to the presence of stevioside, a compound in leaf veins that need to be eradicated or the development of varieties with low stevioside content is highly desirable. Through the use of mutagenesis, molecular and biotechnological approaches the quantity of Rebaudioside-A should be increased as it is the most desirable glycoside compound in the leaves. The development of such varieties with improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress is a major need. Getting over the seed germination problems will require the improvement of methods for the germination and field stand of the crop. Identification of plants with best Rebaudioside-A: Stevioside ratio for generating optimum planting material through plant tissue culture techniques.
