Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hill.) is regarded as the main non-timber product of the economy in southern Brazil; it is a species that occurs naturally in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, and southern Mato Grosso do Sul, as well as in the far south of São Paulo.

Yerba mate seedlings can be obtained from seeds or seedlings through vegetative propagation, by cloning.

We produce yerba mate seedlings through vegetative propagation, which allows the formation of clonal plantations of high productivity and uniformity.

We work with 4 cultivars, as follows: BRS 408, BRS 409, BRS BLD Aupaba and BRS BLD Yari.

Clonal cultivar BRS BLD Aupaba

In the Tupi-Guarani language, the word Aupaba means land of origin and was used to name the cultivar BRS BLD Aupaba because it is native to the region of its clonal testing. It is registered in the Brazilian Cultivar Registry (RNC) under number 36545. It was selected from a native grassland located in the municipality of São Mateus do Sul.

Features

• It is female;
• 4,80-m tall;
• Average of 50 kg of biomass (leaves and branches smaller than 7 mm) produced every two years of pruning;
• The flavor of the leaves and the chimarrão beverage is very mild;
• A cultivar with light green stem, with cylindrical or sub-cylindrical branches;
• Leaves alternate, sub-coriaceous, narrow at the base and slightly obtuse at the apex;
• When grown in sunny conditions the leaves are bluish green in color and the edges have small teeth;
• They have a rather short petiole, about 15 mm long.

Clonal cultivar BRS BLD Yari

The word Yari means Daughter of a Guarani warrior also originates from the Tupi-Guarani language. This cultivar is female and its leaves produce a mild-tasting mate. The clonal cultivar BRS BLD Yari is registered in the Brazilian Cultivar Registry (RNC) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA) under number 36544. The matrix plant was obtained through phenotypic selection, in a planting established by seeds and from the cross that originated the Cambona 4 cultivar.

Features

• The original plant showed an average production of 12 kg of biomass (leaves and branches smaller than 7mm) per plant at five years every one and a half years of pruning;
• Its leaves produce a mild-tasting drink;
• The matrix plant was directly rescued by rooting using the cutting technique;
• Its stem is dull green;
• Cylindrical or sub-cylindrical branches;
• Leaves alternate, sub-coriaceous, narrow at the base and slightly obtuse at the apex;
• When grown in full sun, the leaves are light green in color and the edges have small teeth;
• They have a rather short petiole, about 15 mm long;
• The Cultivar is regarded as having good leaf mass productivity and high softness; According to Embrapa, the Cultivar is considered one of the few materials selected for the production of leaf mass used to obtain a soft drink.

BRS 408

This cultivar was obtained from a specimen selected in the progeny from the city of Cascavel, state of Paraná, and propagated using the mini-cutting technique.

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) is the keeper of this cultivar, registered in the Brazilian Cultivar Registry (RNC) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA) under number 34467.

Features

• Light green stem, with cylindrical or sub-cylindrical branches;
• Leaves alternate, sub-coriaceous, narrow at the base and slightly obtuse at the apex;
• Its edges have small teeth, which can be seen mainly from the middle of the limb to the tip;
• Its petioles are rather short, about 15 mm long, with slight tortuosity;
• According to the sensory analysis of trained tasters, the beverage from its leaves has a moderately mild flavor, scoring 5 on a scale of 0 to 10; Although the yerba mate plant is accustomed to low-fertility soils, an increase in leaf mass productivity occurs by increasing the availability of nutrients in the soil.

BRS 409

Clonal cultivar BRS 409 is originated from a specimen from the city of Bocaiúva do Sul, state of Paraná. Its keeper is also the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), registered with the MAPA under number 34470.

Features

• This cultivar is vegetatively propagated using the mini-cutting technique;
• Its stem is grayish in color;
• Cylindrical or sub-cylindrical grayish branches;
• Its terminal branches are densely lenticellate, with tiny lenticels;
• Leaves alternate, sub-coriaceous, narrow at the base and slightly obtuse at the apex;
• Its edges have small teeth, which can be seen mainly from the middle of the limb to the tip;
• Rather short petiole, about 15 mm long, with slight tortuosity;
• Based on the sensory analysis of trained tasters, the beverage from its leaves has a moderately mild flavor, scoring 5.5 on a scale of 0 to 10;