Effects of different light spectra on the slow-grown in vitro storage and quality of banana plantlets cv. Prata Catarina (AAB)

Continues subculturing of in vitro plant subcultures is essential for commercial micropropagation and tissue culture research. In unusual situations, the subcultures can be delayed, and the slow-growth in vitro storage technic could be applied to reduce the loss of plant material. The present study aimed to evaluate the slow-growth in vitro storage of banana plantlets (‘Prata Catarina’; group AAB) under different light spectra. Shoot cultures in MS medium without plant growth regulators were maintained under blue (B), red (R), red plus blue (R2B), and white (CW) light spectra (25 °C ± 2 °C; 50 µmol m−2 s−1) for up to 140 days. The plantlets maintained under the R, CW, and R2B spectra suffered severe root damage and browning after 140 days of in vitro slow-growth storage (SGS). All plantlets maintained under the B spectrum survived after 140 days of in vitro SGS and showed little browning. The blue spectrum reduces root browning and showed greater tolerance of the in vitro environment for 140 days of banana plantlets (group AAB).