Initiation, proliferation and development of micropropagation system for mass scale production of banana through meristem culture

Explants were taken from field grown plants in 2010. The shoot apical meristem of different sizes was cultured on Murashige and skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of 6-benzylamino-purine (BAP), kinetin (Kin) and alpha- naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) either alone or in combination with each other under different temperature conditions ranging from 23 to 27 C. Shoot formation response from shoot apical meristem showed that MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l BAP showed best response for shoot formation. For shoot multiplication, MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l BAP + 0.25 mg/l kin provided the best multiplication response which was 8 shoot per culture vial within 21.6 days after inoculation into shoot multiplication medium. Shoot formation and multiplication response was also affected by temperature variations. The best results were obtained at 27 degrees C +/- 1 degrees C. By increase or decrease in temperature, the rate of in vitro response was also decreased. For rooting of well developed in vitro shoots MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)+ 0.5 mg/l NAA showed 3.6 roots per plant after 6.8 days of inoculation into rooting medium with an average root length of 2.4 cm. 100% hardening response was obtained in Peat moss after 21 days of transplantation in glass house. The experiments were designed in completely randomized pattern.