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CERTAIN GROWTH RELATED ATTRIBUTES OF MICROPROPAGATED BANANA UNDER DIFFERENT SALINITY LEVELS

IKRAM-UL HAQ^*, FAHEEDA SOOMRO, NAZIA PARVEEN¹, MUHAMMAD UMAR DAHOT AND AMEER AHMED MIRBAHAR²

Abstract: The effect of salinity (NaCl) was assessed on banana (Musa spp.) cv., Sindhri Banana (Basrai) propagating plantlets in aseptic condition. Four different NaCl levels [0 (control) 50, 100 and 150 mM] were maintained at shoot multiplication stage for 6-weeks. Salinity reduced the number of plantlets per explants and plant biomass significantly. A proportional relationship was observed for Na⁺ and Cl^- but K⁺, Ca²⁺ and NO₃^- were observed to be inversely proportioned with NaCl stress. Similarly, total proteins as well as carbohydrate contents were decreased significantly. Increasing mode of secondary metabolites (proline, betaine contents and reducing sugars) were showing a negative relationship of saline stress with plant micro-propagation efficiency. Among photosynthetic pigments, total carotenoids were increased while chlorophyll contents (Chl a & b) decreased. Similarly, nitrate reductase activity also reduced. Overall, vegetative propagation of banana was affected significantly by NaCl stress under in-vitro conditions.

Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), University of Sindh, Jamshoro-76080, Pakistan

¹Department of Statistics, University of Sindh, Jamshoro-76080, Pakistan

²Plant Tissue Culture & Biotechnology Division, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi-75270, Karachi