A field experiment with 'Prata-anã' banana was conducted to evaluate the agronomic performance of tissue culture-propagated plants in solid or liquid culture medium and conventionally propagated plants. The experiment was installed in Cristais Paulista (20º23'S; 47º30'W), Planalto Region of State of Sao Paulo (Brazil). This region is characterized by a summer rainy season and dry winter. Plant growth and phenology were assessed through periodic measurements of length and stem diameter of the plants until flowering. The incidence of diseases (CMV and Panama disease) was estimated visually according to the presentation of symptoms by plants. The tissue culture-propagated-plants in solid or liquid medium showed initial growth and development more vigorous, precocious flowering and lighter bunches than those from conventionally propagated plants. There were no significant differences in the incidence of diseases and size of fruit produced due to propagation method.
Musa spp; fruit growing; banana; micropropagation
