Vitrification-based cryopreservation of banana cv. Barangan by using apical shoots and highly proliferating meristems.

In vitro conservation is suitable for vegetatively propagated crops, including banana to avoid genetic erosion of germplasms. This study aimed to identify the response of banana explants cv. Barangan to dehydration and freezing during cryopreservation for long-term storage. In this study, optimization of dehydration was carried out followed by optimization of loading prior to freezing, thawing, deloading, and recovery. The explants used were apical shoots and highly proliferating meristems (HPMs). Firstly, apical shoots were dehydrated with PVS2 solution for 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes. In the next experiment, they were loaded with LS solution for 0, 10, 20, and 30 minutes. To optimize cryopreservation success, HPMs were used as the explants. They were induced by BA (50 or 100 µM) or TDZ (0.5, 1, or 2 µM), and combined treatment between BA 50 µM and TDZ 0.5 µM. The HPMs were loaded in LS solution for 20 and 40 minutes and then dehydrated with PVS2 solution before immersion in liquid nitrogen. The results showed that duration of dehydration in PVS2 solution reduced the survival and growth rate of banana explants. Loading treatment could increase the number of shoots after dehydration treatment. The best loading treatment was 20 minutes for apical shoot explants. The BA 50 µM was better to induce HPMs. HPMs were better used as the explants for cryopreservation than apical shoots with high survival rate (80–100%), but their regrowth was inhibited. Droplet-vitrification technique is expected to increase the success of cryopreservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]