Standardization of macropropagation technique in banana (musa (aab) 'nendran')
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Date
2018
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Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara
Abstract
The quality of the planting material is of paramount importance in successful crop production and banana is no different. Dearth of planting materials and heavy demand ends up with banana farmers forsaking the sucker quality aspects. Different techniques have been attempted for activation of new sucker. However, a standardized protocol of rapid mass multiplication macropropagation technique to produce quality planting material in Nendran is lacking and is the need of the hour. Hence, this study was undertaken with the prime objective of standardizing the bud activation/ invigoration technique leading to efficient sucker production. The second objective was to identify the ideal potting/ grow bag media preferably using locally available and cost effective materials. The third objective was to study the efficacy of the application of biofertilizers particularly Glomus fasciculatum and Azospirillum in macropropagation as this has already been proven to be have positive effect on the growth and yield of banana and finally to study the effect of micronutrient boron and zinc in improving macropropagation efficiency. The study was taken up at Banana Research Station (BRS), Kannara, during 2016- 18 using disease free healthy suckers of Nendran (Musa AAB) and the new sprouts were evaluated for all major morphological characters in all the four experiments. Additionally, carbohydrate content of banana corm was analyzed in the first experiment, percent root colonization and spore count of Glomus fasciculatum, population count of Azospirillum and major soil nutrients (N, P and K) in the biofertilizer experiment, and the nutrient content of selected nutrients in leaf samples in ratoon- 1, ratoon-2 and dead sucker in the micronutrient study were also analyzed and evaluated. In the first experiment on standardizing the bud activation/ invigoration technique leading to efficient sucker production, acid treatment by pouring 5.0 ml of one per cent H2SO4 acid on the apical meristem portion produced the highest mean number of quality suckers of 7.6 in ratoon – 1 and 4.6 in ratoon-2 respectively. Based on the carbohydrate content it could be inferred that the reduction in the inherent carbohydrate reserve had affected the sucker production from mother sucker stage to ratoon-2. In the second experiment to identify the ideal potting/ grow bag, it was found that the soil media gave the highest mean number of quality suckers in ratoon- 1 (5.6) and 4.3 in ratoon-2. In the second ratoon sucker sprouting was only observed in the soil media irrespective of quantity of media used. In the third experiment to study the efficacy of the application of biofertilizers, particularly Glomus fasciculatum and Azospirillum in macropropagation. The treatment, 20g of Glomus fasciculatum plus 10g of Azospirillum per sucker (T10) recorded the highest mean number of quality suckers (4.3) whereas in the second ratoon it was the treatment 30g of Glomus fasciculatum plus 30g of Azospirillum per sucker that recorded the highest sucker production. Based on the spore count, percent colonization and nutrient content of media, it can be confirmed that T10 is the most effective treatment. The soil nutrient analysis revealed that all treatments recorded higher values than that in the control. The fourth experiment to study the effect of micronutrients boron and zinc in macropropagation confirmed that application of Zn (0.1%) to the sucker recorded highest mean number of quality suckers (4.0) in the first ratoon but it was application of Zn at 0.5% that recorded the maximum number of suckers of 4.6 in ratoon-2. This clearly showed that Zn has a promotive role in the sucker production probably by the proven route of enhanced production of auxin. The micronutrient analysis revealed a decreasing trend from ratoon- 1 to ratoon-2 and dead suckers due to dilution effect. The economic analysis based on B: C ratio revealed that in the first experiment the ratio was found to be 0.345. This is due to high cost of coir pith and sawdust. This could be significantly improved in the second experiment where in the ratio was 2.29. In the third experiment it is 1.6 and in fourth it is 2.14. This is inclusive of the prohibitive labour cost added in actual terms. In small and medium holding farms. This part is done by the farmers themselves and hence in real terms the B: C ratio would be much higher. Thus, it can be concluded that with 5.0 ml of one per cent H2SO4 acid application on the apical meristem portion of sucker in 20 kg soil media along with a combined application 20g of Glomus fasciculatum plus 10g of Azospirillum, and Zn (0.1%) to the sucker in the first ratoon and Zn at 0.5% in ratoon-2 will form a standard protocol of rapid multiplication using macropropagation technique for quality planting material production in banana (Musa (AAB) ‘Nendran’
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Master of Science in Horticulture
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