Development of
Competent Multiple Meristem Cultures from Immature Male Bud of Banana, CO 2 (AB)
and CO 3 (ABB)
Shruthi S., Muthuvel I., Manikanda Boopathi, Kavitha C. and Senthil A.
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(9); 102-108;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/209rjbt1020108; (2025)
Abstract
A protocol was developed for the establishment of multiple meristem cultures from
immature male buds of banana hybrids CO 2 and CO 3 using two explant approaches:
floral hands with bract axil and longitudinally sectioned floral apex segments.
Among the treatments, longitudinal sectioned segments demonstrated a superior morphogenic
response, with consistent 100% initiation across both hybrids. The earliest formation
of shoot-forming nodules (SFNs) was observed under treatment T9 (6 mg/l BAP + 1
mg/l NAA), occurring at 21.2 days (CO 2) and 21.3 days (CO 3), followed by the development
of white compact meristems (WCMs). A strong positive correlation was noted between
SFNs and WCMs with the highest WCMs (9.0 in CO 2; 9.5 in CO 3) resulting from 6.0
SFNs per segment.
Shoot induction was significantly enhanced in S4 (3 mg/l BAP + 2 mg/l Kinetin),
producing 14.5 shoots in CO 2 and 15.1 in CO 3. Longitudinal sectioned explants
produced up to 45% more WCMs and 35% more shoots compared to floral hands, demonstrating
their higher responsiveness and regeneration efficiency. The study demonstrates
the potential of male floral explants, particularly longitudinal segments, for high-frequency
propagation through multiple meristem cultures, offering a scalable solution for
the commercial production of uniform, high-quality banana planting material.
