Staged production of banana seedlings in three models of bioreactor. Challenges of optimizing the marriage of micropropagation techniques for the supply of healthy genetically improved banana

• Grant number: 04/09051-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: June 01, 2005
• End date: November 30, 2005
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Reusi Inês Bossi
• Grantee: Reusi Inês Bossi
• Company: Pro-Clone Comércio de Mudas Matrizes - ME
• City: Holambra

Abstract

The initial objective of this project, in its first phase, is based on the evaluation of the efficiency of three types of bioreactor with regard to the technology employed: temporary immersion, bubbling and nebulization. The equipment will be used in the in vitro micropropagation of bananas, in comparison with the traditional procedure. The evaluation of the bioreactors’ efficiency will be based on the following criteria: operational performance; reduction in the use of biological material (culture medium); minimization of infrastructural costs (especially electric energy); multiplication rate of seedling in vitro; and average time for acclimatization, robustness and health in the seedlings. With the most efficient bioreactor chosen, in the second phase it is intended to establish the protocols for micropropagation which permit the multiplication of seedlings above the fifth subculture, actually a limiting factor permitted without the occurrence of somaclonal variation. Meristems of several banana clones will be installed and indexation will be carried out for the virus. (AU)