In vitro strategies for conservation of Wild Banana Germplasm: A Multifaceted Resource of Non Woody Forest Products

Ensete superbum (Roxb.) Cheesman (Wild banana; Musaceae) is an endemic plant species from Western Ghats. It has been used extensively in ayurvedic medicinal practices for relieving various stomach, kidney related disorders and on leucorrhoea. The overexploitation of wild banana, together with low natural regeneration, has resulted in a decrease in natural stands. There is an urgent need for the conservation of this through in vitro propagation protocol of E. superbum using zygotic embryo culture. Excise embryos were culture on MS growth medium with different concentration of growth regulators individual and in-combinations. Among the tested treatments embryos cultured on MS supplemented with 0.75 mg/l BA + 200 mg/l PVP showed most favourable response up to 95.77% germination within two to three weeks which grows up to 16.9 cm in length. The 20–25 days old hydroponically grown plants saplings were transferred on growth substratum 50% soil: 25% compost: 25% sand. In-vitro germinated seedlings were acclimatized in a hydroponic culture medium improve survival rate. These plants were transferred to the field and were found to be phenotypically normal, healthy and similar to donor plants. This is the first report for mass scale production of healthy plantlets through in vitro zygotic embryo culture and standardized nursery techniques. The study utilized hydroponic techniques in in vitro cultivated plantlets for initial development, with early acclimatization and hardening being observed. This technique could be an alternative solution for restocking and pave the way for rapid restoration of nearly threatened medicinally important E. superbum .