Studies on Micropropagation of Banana ‘Grande Naine’

To achieve the micropropagation of banana, suckers with attendant rhizome explants (shoot tips from suckers and rhizome) were collected. They were thoroughly washed and cut into small pieces. The pieces were washed in labolene solution with few drops of Tween-20 and rinsed with distilled water. After surface sterilization with Hg₂Cl solution, the explants were inoculated on solidified MS basal medium with benzyl adenine purine (BAP). The buds, which started growing, were transferred to multiplication media to obtain microshoots. The microshoots were rooted with 100 per cent efficiency, when transferred to a hormone free medium. The plantlets were acclimatized in two steps: for the first 4 weeks in culture room conditions and next 4 weeks in glass house conditions. The plantlets were grown for the initial 3 weeks in modified Knop's solution in hydroponics and then in the potting mixture containing soil, sand and FYM. The 100 per cent survival was recorded.