The present invention provides a high rebaudioside M content non-genetically modified stevia plant comprising rebaudioside M at higher content as compared with the wild type stevia species. The present invention also provides a method of producing such a high rebaudioside M content non-genetically modified stevia plant, and a dry leaf obtainable from such a plant.

A method of screening for a stevia plant with high steviol glycoside content, that includes detecting from the genome of a test stevia plant the presence and/or the absence of the following genetic feature: (1) homozygous for the allele wherein the base at the position corresponding to position 290 of SEQ ID NO: 1 is T, and the presence and/or the absence of the following genetic feature: (2) homozygous or heterozygous for the allele wherein the base at the position corresponding to position 40 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is A.

A method of screening for a stevia plant with high rebaudioside M content ratio, that includes detecting from a test stevia plant the presence and/or absence of at least one of (1) and (2), and at least one of (3) to (7): (1) homozygous for the allele wherein position 290 of SEQ ID NO: 1 is T; (2) homozygous for the allele wherein position 33 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is A; (3) homozygous for the allele wherein position 44 of SEQ ID NO: 3 is T; (4) homozygous for the allele wherein position 40 of SEQ ID NO: 4 is T; (5) homozygous for the allele wherein position 48 of SEQ ID NO: 5 is C; (6) homozygous for the allele wherein positions 55-72 of SEQ ID NO: 6 are deleted; (7) homozygous for the allele wherein position 50 of SEQ ID NO: 7 is A.

A Stevia extract made from leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant is described. The extract has desired levels of steviol glycosides and is useful in food, beverage, and other consumable products.

A stevia cultivar with super high Rebaudioside A content, designated 320032, is disclosed. Another embodiment relates to the plant parts of stevia cultivar 320032, to the plants of stevia 320032 and to methods for producing a stevia plant produced by crossing the cultivar 320032 with itself or another stevia variety, including methods using marker assisted breeding. Another embodiment further relates to hybrid stevia seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar 320032 with another stevia cultivar. Twelve highly polymorphic SNPs loci and the corresponding genomic sequences used to identify plant variety 320032-derived plant materials are also disclosed.

Genetic information on stevia is elucidated. The present invention provides a method of screening for a stevia plant having at least one of the chemical features (a) to (r), comprising a step of detecting from the genome of a test stevia plant the presence and/or the absence of at least one of the genetic features (1) to (3), etc.

A stevia cultivar containing a high Rebaudioside M content, designated 18136109, is disclosed. The invention relates to the plant parts of stevia cultivar 18136109, to the plants of stevia 18136109 and to methods for producing a stevia plant produced by crossing the cultivar 18136109 with itself or another stevia variety, including methods using marker assisted breeding. The invention further relates to hybrid stevia seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar 18136109 with another stevia cultivar. Twelve highly polymorphic SNPs loci and the corresponding genomic sequences used to identify plant variety 18136109-derived plant materials are also disclosed.