Effects of cytokinins and auxins on micropropagation of Musa spp. cv. Yangambi

Banana is an important and widely grown fruit crop in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Darvari et al., 2010; Rahman et al., 2013).Banana represents the world's second largest fruit crop and fourth most important global food crop with an annual production over 100 million metric tons (FAOSTAT, 2010) .Banana plants are usually propagated by vegetative means by using suckers which grow from lateral buds originating from corms , and suckers are used for production of individual plants. This process is very slow as the rate of multiplication of suckers through conventional vegetative means has been found to express several negative impacts which include transmission of diseases, low production and poor preservation of original plant genetic material (Hussein, 2012). The non -professional cultivation practices, pest epidemic and viral diseases affect the yield and quality of banana crop (Wambugu et al., 2008).The problem of emerging diseases can be solved by propagating banana through tissue culture (Ali et al., 2011). Success in in vitro multiplication is based on the growth and differentiation of plant tissues, which is viable only by the addition of suitable growth regulators (Gaspar et al., 2003). 

Musa variety Yangambi is a vigorous plant that remains productive on poor soils and which has become well known for its thick peel being resistant to black leaf streak disease, caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis , which ultimately increases the self - life of this banana cultivar. The goals of this study are (i) to find out the best plant growth regulators for shoot proliferation and multiplication of banana explants of Musa paradisiaca cv. Yangambi Km-5 culture d on Murashige and Skoog‟s medium containing dif ferent concentration of growth regulators (Cytokinin s and Auxins).