In Vitro Regeneration of Banana Variety Grand Naine (G 9)

This research was planned to study the effect of various combinations of auxins and cytokinins on micropropagation of “Grand Naine” cultivar of Banana (Musa). Rhizomes bearing the meristematic shoot tips were taken as explants from greenhouse maintained plants. These were surface sterilized with different concentrations of bavistin and HgCl₂ for different intervals of time and cultured on MS media supplemented with different concentrations of BAP (0.25, 0.5,1.0,1.5,2.0, 2.5, 3.0 mg/l) and NAA (0.25 and 0.5 mg/l). BAP at 2.0 mg/l along with NAA at 0.5 mg/l proved to be the best combination and showed optimum shoot growth. Multiplicated shoots were inoculated on rooting media incorporated with either IBA or NAA (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mg/l) and Charcoal (2 gm/l) for root induction. IBA (2mg/l) and Charcoal (2 gm/l) produced maximum number of roots with a lot of root hairs. Shoots obtained in rooting media were hardened in portrays containing different potting mixtures, of which the mixture of Cocopeat and sand (2:1) showed maximum (96%) survival of plantlets.