In Vitro Propagation of Banana NAK (Musa acuminata cv Red Dacca)

Abstract

Banana NAK (Musa acuminata cv Red Dacca) is a rare and highly nutritious fruit. Conventional propagation through suckers is insufficient for large-scale commercial cultivation. This study focuses on an efficient method for in vitro propagation of this banana species. Trimmed suckers were sterilized with 25% and 10% Clorox for 35 and 15 minutes, respectively, and cultured on solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3 and 5 mg/L of benzyladenine (BA), with or without 100 mL of coconut water, to induce shoot formation. After four months of culture, MS medium supplemented with 5 mg/L BA and 100 mL coconut water produced the highest shoot induction, averaging 31.7 shoots with a monthly shoot rate of 3.9, which was significantly different from the other treatments. For multiple shoot induction, 1/2MS liquid medium supplemented with 3 mg/L BA, coconut water and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) achieved the highest shoot multiplication, 47.3 shoots per explant, which was not significantly different from the treatment containing 5 mg/L BA. When shoots were transferred to solid MS medium containing 1 mg/L IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid), 100% rooting was achieved. Furthermore, the plants acclimatized successfully with a survival rate of 100% upon transplantation. The result of this research indicate that in vitro propagation can effectively enhance the production of banana NAK, supporting its commercial cultivation.