Studies on the Effect of Different Gelling Agents for Micropropagation of Banana (Musa Paradisiaca L.) Variety Udhayam

Abstract

Banana is the most important commercial fruit crop of tropical and subtropical regions. Tissue culture has been a promising approach for banana multiplication at large scales because it generates a large number of contamination free plantlets in a minimum space and time. Low cost gelling agents adopted in the study were effective in reducing the cost of without compromising the quality of banana plantlets. The cost on media ingredients was reduced by substituting commercial grade Agar by Tapioca starch, Corn starch and Asparagus. Tapioca starch was found to be the best gelling agent and it reduced 66.39 per cent cost of gelling agents as compared to Agar. Use of Mercuric chloride and Ethanol for 4 minutes found to be the best instead of their alone for higher explant survival (73.42%) with low contamination (26.58%) in established cultures. The minimum time of callus induction (25.53 days) was observed in treatment of Tapioca starch 60 @ g/l. The earliest shoot initiation (11.73 days) was noted under the treatment of Tapioca starch 50 @ g/l. Maximum percentage of shoot development was obtained (84.10%) under the treatment of Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l. Maximum number of shoots per explant was obtained (5.95) under the treatment of Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l. The minimum time of shoot development (23.13 days) was found under the treatment of Tapioca starch @ 50 g/l. Maximum shoot length was noted (5.35 cm) under the treatment of Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l. The minimum time of root initiation (10.90 days) was observed in the treatment of Tapioca starch 50 @ g/l. Maximum percentage of root development obtained (79.66%) was noted under the treatment of Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l. Highest number of roots per plantlet (4.59) was found under the treatment of Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l. The maximum number of root length per plantlet (5.30 cm) was noted under the treatment of Tapioca starch @ 50 g/l. In this way, Tapioca starch was found to be most suitable gelling agent with the combination of MS + Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l + 2,4-D @ 4.00 mg/l + Kinetin @ 1.00 mg/l (25.81 days) for callus induction; MS + Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l + BAP @ 3.00 mg/l + NAA @ 1.00 mg/l (21.93 days) for shoot development and Half MS + Tapioca starch @ 60 g/l + IBA @ 2.50 mg/l + BAP @ 1.00 mg/l (11.71 days) for root initiation.