In vitro regeneration protocol for commercially important Banana cultivar through meristem culture

Abstract:

Micropropagation through meristem culture is defined as the aseptic excision and in vitro culture of the shoot apical meristem to produce genetically uniform, disease-free planting material. This technique holds particular promise for banana (Musa spp.), where conventional vegetative propagation through suckers is slow and carries the risk of transmitting systemic pathogens. The present research standardised an in vitro regeneration protocol for banana cv. Grand Naine (AAA genome group) at the tissue culture laboratory of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, Kiambu County, during March-October 2023. Shoot-tip explants (3-5 mm) were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with varying concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP, 0-6 mg L⁻¹) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA, 0-1 mg L⁻¹). The highest multiplication ratio (5.7 shoots per explant) was obtained on MS + 4.0 mg L⁻¹ BAP + 0.5 mg L⁻¹ IAA after the fourth subculture cycle. Rooting was best on half-strength MS with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ IBA (92.3% rooting, 4.8 roots per shoot). Hardened plantlets achieved 88.6% survival after 30 days in the greenhouse. The protocol can produce over 3,000 uniform plantlets from a single meristem within 8-10 months.