Banana explants cv. Caipira (AAA) was cultivated in vitro. In the establishment and multiplication phases the medium used was MS+5mg/l BAP and in the rooting phase, 50%MS without BAP. In the subcultures evaluations, the highest contamination rate occurred at the establishment (74,7%), decreasing until rooting, with 5,6%. The number of shoots per flask along the subcultures was 3,7 in the first subculture and 1,7 in the fourth. The shoots' size remained between 24 and 26 mm in the subcultures 1 to 3, reducing in the subculture 4 with 22 mm. As a consequence, the class of smaller shoots (x <FONT FACE=Symbol>£</FONT> 20 mm) was predominant, from 56% in the subculture 1 to 65% in the subculture 4. During rooting, the predominance (62%) of shoots was between 30 and 60 mm, with 4,6 shoots per flask. The general evaluation of the process indicated an efficiency of 70,9 plantlets per rhizome.
Micropropagation; Banana; Tissue Culture
