ESTABLISHMENT OF A SHOOT PROLIFERATION PROTOCOL FOR BANANA (ABB GROUP) CV. 'PISANG AWAK' VIA TEMPORARY IMMERSION SYSTEM

Initial study of evaluating the factors affecting shoot proliferation of Pisang Awak' using temporary immersion system was carried out using four half shoots in each experimental unit as explants and repeated with four to seven experimental units for each factor. The inoculum size finally used for shoot proliferation was eight half-shoots for each experimental unit (250mL culture flask) in MS liquid medium supplemented with 5.0mg L1 benzyladenine (BA) and 30g L1 sucrose, the shoot proliferation medium and an average of 4.9 +/- 0.3 shoots was produced from each half-shoot explant after five weeks of culture. The final protocol for shoot proliferation using the temporary immersion system was established by inoculating eight half-shoot explants into the shoot proliferation medium adjusted to pH 5.7 with the inoculated shoots immersed once a day in the medium for 10 minutes. The cultures were incubated under continuous light for enhancement of shoot proliferation without vitrification.