Cryopreservation of Kluai Namwa (Musa x paradisiaca ‘Kluai Namwa’)

Abstract

Cryopreservation encapsulated-vitrified meristem of K.Namwa stored in liquid nitrogen with various loading solutions were investigated. A mixture of 2M glycerol and 0.4 M sucrose could produce 85 percent survival of meristem while 2M ethylene glycol without sucrose gave only 5 percent survival of meristem with pale green colour. After treating the encapsulated-vitrified meristem with loading solution in liquid nitrogen for 1 hour and then transferred to modified MS medium for two weeks, they returned to green colour. All of them were recultured in MS media and proliferation occurred within two months. The study on shoot development of encapsulated-vitrified meristems, which were dehydrated in PVS2 at various times of 0 10 15 20 25 30 35 and 40 min. at 25°C, before cryopreservation was conducted. The treated encapsulated-vitrified meristems were kept in liquid nitrogen for 1 hour, and transferred to modified MS medium for two months. The result showed that meristems treated with PVS2 for 25 min. gave the highest shoot proliferation of 85 percent followed by 30 min. of 80 percent. The shoot proliferation decreased with increasing times of dehydration which was similar to the one that was not kept in liquid nitrogen.