Development of Competent Multiple Meristem Cultures from Immature Male Bud of Banana, CO 2 (AB) and CO 3 (ABB)

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.