Agricultural Technology

Bananacv Elakki bale (AB) is one of the commercially grown cultivars in southern parts of India. Due to its low multiplication rate, the commercial propagation using apical meristems is unable to meet the growing demand for planting material. The large scale micro-propagation of elakki bale using embryogenic cell suspension (ECS) has been developed (one lakh plants/embryogenic calli) and field evaluation of embryo derived plantlets showed normal phenotype as compared to sucker or shoot tip plants. Hence the current embryogenesis protocol can be an alternative technique for mass propagation of elakki bale.