Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mar. 2008
BIO-8
Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in coopera-
tion with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Andrew G. Hashimoto, Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822.
An equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, dis-
ability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran. CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site <http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/freepubs>.
UH–CTAHR Preparing Tissue-Cultured Banana Plantlets for Field Planting BIO-8 — Mar. 2008
1. Individual banana plantlets ready for planting into plant pots or poly-bags. Photo: E.A. Perez
plantlets are being transferred from the culture vessels 20 cm (8 inches) tall (Photo 2) are sometimes preferred
to the external environment. Tissue-cultured plantlets over plastic pots because they are lighter in weight and
are delicate because they have been grown under low- still allow vigorous plant growth.
intensity artificial light and high humidity. Thus, they A potting medium providing for the best growth of tis-
are not adequately “hardened off” and may readily sue-cultured banana plantlets should have a good balance
lose water when exposed to ambient conditions. When between its moisture-holding and drainage characteristics.
plantlets are removed from their containers, the artificial, This allows the roots to obtain sufficient water without
gel-like agar medium is gently washed from the roots. “drowning.” A greenhouse potting mixture we use for
This is important, because the agar contains sucrose and growing out banana plantlets includes 2 parts of a com-
other nutrients that can serve as a medium for growth mercial growing media mixture (Sunshine Professional),
of disease-causing organisms. The pre-hardened, tissue- 1 part perlite, and 3 parts vermiculite (medium to coarse
cultured plantlets with well branched roots (Photo 1) are grade). A slow-release fertilizer is also added to the potting
now ready for planting into potting media in a greenhouse medium prior to planting; alternatively, liquid fertilizer,
nursery. Plantlets purchased from ADSC will already be such as Miracle Grow®, can be used. One of the advantages
hardened off or acclimatized, unless a special request of using slow-release fertilizer is that if it is adequately
is made for plants in culture vessels. The hardened-off applied to the soil mix, no other fertilizer will be needed
plants should be quickly prepared for the greenhouse before transplanting. However, if a liquid fertilizer is used,
nursery. multiple applications may be required.
The potting medium should be uniformly moistened
Potting media, plant containers, and with a small amount of water before it is placed into the
nursery area nursery containers. This will help to station the roots
Plastic pots or polyethylene bags (“poly-bags”) are suit- during planting. The plantlet roots should be covered
able nursery containers. Black poly-bags are widely used with 1–2 cm of potting soil above the upper part of the
because of their low cost, apparent simplicity, and conve- roots. Water them immediately after planting. Control
nience. Small poly-bags 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter and of moisture in the medium is a critical factor for suc-
UH–CTAHR Preparing Tissue-Cultured Banana Plantlets for Field Planting BIO-8 — Mar. 2008