Explant surface sterilization technique for micropropagation of banana (Musa sp.) cv. Dwarf Cavendish

An attempt was made to find out the most efficient and successful surface sterilization technique for banana micro propagation. Young healthy suckers of Musa cultivar Dwarf Cavendish were washed under tap water and trimmed to a block of 50 mm3 containing shoot tip and rhizomatous base. Field suckers were processed within two hours of uprooting by chopping down the rhizome and pseudostem parts, soaking the excised tissue block in 0.1% bavistin (broad spectrum fungicide) + 0.05% streptocycline for 30 min at 150 rpm in a rotary shaker followed by rinsing in double distilled water. After further trimming to 3?4 cm, tissue were treated with 1% Cetrimide for 30 min., ex ter nal sheaths were re moved and finally treated with NaOCl (4%) or HgCl2 (0.1%) for varying time period in a laminar hood. The best aseptic cultures as well as survival of explants were obtained with mercuric chloride (0.1%) for 5 minutes followed by quick dip in ethanol.