CULTIVAR SPECIFICITY WITH RESPECT TO IN-VITRO MICROPROPAGATION OF MUSA SPP (BANANA AND PLANTAIN)

The study compares in vitro micropropagation responses and cultivar sp ecificity using 12 cultivars of five genomic composition. Variation wa s revealed in in-vitro multiplication between cultivars of different g enomic compositions and also within them. The rate of multiplication w as highly variable: between about one and ten per week at the fourth s ubculture. It appeared that genome 'B' adversely affected multiplicati on; the more 'B' genomes in the group, the lower the rate of multiplic ation. AAA group members showed the highest rate of multiplication wit h the lowest range. The rate of multiplication also appears to be rela ted to the degree of browning of the shoot tip tissues. It is suggeste d that multiplication is cultivar-specific and influenced by many fact ors such as the culture environment. Such studies are important for in vitro breeding programmes in Musa spp.