Aseptic Growth Attributes of PEG-Stressed and BBTV-Infected Plants of Banana

Aseptic multiplication of banana is a major tool for rapid mass production of pathogen free plants. In this experiment, comparative micropropagation growth was assessed in polyethylene glycol (PEG) stressed and Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) infected plantlets of banana (Musa spp. ) cv. , Basrai under aseptic conditions. This comparative study was conducted, when healthy and BBTV-infected plantlet were multiplying [MS2 (8 mg L-1 BA, 2 g L-1 phytagel)] at 2nd sub-culture stage. They were transferred to fresh media for 3rd subculture and labelled as MS2 (control), MS2b (BBTV-infected plantlets) and MS2c (MS2 + 5 % PEG). After 6-weeks of culture, lowest micropropagation efficiency was observed in PEG stressed cultures (3.25 0.408 plantlets) than BBTV infected (4.50 0.289 plantlets) and control cultures (5.75 1.555 plantlets). Reducing sugars, proline, glycinebetaine contents and total carotenoids were increased (p less than 0.05) in PEG stressed as well as BBTV infected plantlets, while total sugars, proteins and nitrates were decreased significantly. Phenolics were increased but relative water contents decreased with the decrease in shoot biomass in PEG stressed and BBTV infected plantlets than control healthy plantlets (p less than 0.05). This instability of organic and in-organic attributes in the micro-propagated plantlets reflects relative tolerance of plant growth in banana cultivar Basrai against the applied abiotic (PEG) and biotic (BBTV) stresses.