The in vitro cultivation technique of banana plants faces the problem of oxidation of the stem apex in the establishment phase. The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of the combination of citric acid and potassium citrate, to reduce the in vitro oxidation of 'Maçã' banana plants. The explants, measuring 15 mm of pseudostem and 5 mm of rhizome, were established in the MS medium with half concentration of the macronutrients. The treatments were organized in factorial design 2x2x2 (with and without pre-treatment of antioxidants for 90 minutes, with and without the addition of the antioxidants in the medium and with and without subculture to the 15 days after the inoculation). Each treatment was constituted by 15 stem apexes. The oxidation degree and the number of buds in the first and in the second re-culture were evaluated. The smallest oxidation degree was obtained with the pre-treatment of the stem apexes in 0,25 g L-1 of citric acid plus 0,75 g L-1 of potassium citrate, without the addition of these antioxidants to the medium of cultivation and without subculture.
Musa; tissue culture; micropropagation; phenol; establishment
