Growth of mycorrhizal micropropagated banana plantlets in different recipients

An experiment under greenhouse was carried out in order to evaluate different recipients and the inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Glomus clarum, on the growth of micropropagated banana plantlets. A random block design in a factorial scheme 2x2 (two microbiological treatments: Glomus clarum and control; two types of recipients: pressed blocks and plastic tubes), with six repetitions, was used. The substrate utilized to construct the pressed blocks and to fill the tubes was constituted by a mixture of organic residue (sugarcane bagasse and filter cake) and vermiculite. Banana plantlets produced in pressed blocks and inoculated with AMF let to better results than their counterparts grown in tubes, increasing the height, shoot dry weight, contents of N, P and K in 90%, 829%, 2774%, 249% and 403%, respectively.

arbuscular mycorrhizae; Musa sp.; plantlets micropropagation; pressed blocks; plastic tubes