Optimization of micropropagation techniques of bungulan banana (Musa x paradisiaca L. var.) Bungulan

Bungulan banana is one of the most economically important export fruit type of cavendish that sources of income for many smallholder farms in Mindanao [Philippines] that is due highly adaptable, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the limitations of this variety are the availability of quality planting material (QPM) with difficulty of method to mass produce. Several studies established the micropropagation protocol for other varieties of banana except for Bungulan. This study was conducted to optimize the use of different concentrations in growth hormones to develop an improved micropropagation technique for production of quality banana var, Bungulan under tissue culture. All phases of this study were carried out using 2X4 factorial experiment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) replicated four times and conducted at the Tissue Culture Laboratory. The study was divided into phases; sterilization, establishment, multiplication, and rooting. The results revealed that in sterilization, the rifampicin at 150/mgl added with 30% sodium hypochlorite was potential in eliminating microbial contaminations which resulted to highest survivability of explants (90%). In establishment the use of 50O/mgl ascorbic acid (AA) added in the MS medium showed highest number of shoots (2.05 shootlets) and effectively minimized the oxidation presence in explants that led to lethal browning. In multiplication, the application of IAA 5mg/L added in MS medium had fastest shoot development (3.51 shootlet). In rooting MS + Indole 3- Butyric Acid showed the highest number of root hairs (45.55) and highest root length (13.55 cm) while MS + 2 mg/L NAA increased the numbers of roots (13.24 rotlets), and rooted shoots (99.58%), and gained the tallest shoot height (10.39 cm). The result of the study was effective micropropagation technique for Bungulan banana to produce more meriplants for large scale production of good and quality seedlings.