Germinating somewhat immature banana seeds
 

Hi All,

I'm collecting seed from wild and volunteer populations of Musa here on Trinidad. Disjunct populations of nominal acuminata, balbisiana, ornata, velutina and laterita exist here and there.

Oftentimes I cannot revisit a mat for a month or two.

Mostly these seeded bananas grow within pollinating distance (Trigona nigra & Partamona nigrior are 2 local wild Meliponine bees that do excellent pollination!) of locally common triploid pollen donating cultivars like Mysore, Cavendish, Gros Michel, French Plantains, multiple Orinoco types, Silk and such.

The idea is to find potential hybrid seed & grow out possibly useful hybrids to advance my ultra low budget banana breeding.

So when I encounter a bunch, I test for black seeds and, once positive, harvest - even though the seed might not be, strictly speaking, mature.

NOW FOR THE QUESTION:

Anyone on bananas.org has specific experience in germinating underaged Musa seed?


Thanks a lot.

shannon

shannon.di.corse@gmail.com

Re: Germinating somewhat immature banana seeds
 

Plant Physiol. 1985 Aug ;78 (4):876-882 16664344
Reprogramming of Protein Synthesis from a Developmental to a Germinative Mode Induced by Desiccation of the Axes of Phaseolus vulgaris.
[My paper] Santosh Misra , J Derek Bewley
Immature seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris cv Taylor's Horticultural removed from the pod at 32 days of development do not germinate unless first subjected to desiccation. Our results show that premature drying not only redirects metabolism from a developmental to a germination program but it does so permanently, thus effecting an irreversible switch. This is shown by in vitro protein synthesis, and analysis of poly(A)(+) mRNA with a cDNA probe specific for phaseolin message. For example, the pattern of proteins synthesized in vitro by the mRNA fraction from fresh and prematurely dried axes show strong similarities; on the other hand, the mRNA population from rehydrated axes code for a different set of proteins. Also, the message for phaseolin is preserved following the normal maturation process and premature desiccation of seeds. Following rehydration of immature seeds at the desiccation-tolerant stage, this message is no longer detectable in the axes.


? :)

Re: Germinating somewhat immature banana seeds
 

Sunfish,

Thanks. It might be relevant even though beans are a long way from bananas. I've observed premature forced germination in embryos that came from tropical forest fruit that were subjected to predation by parrots.

So far, my recipe is:

First, I cut my premature bunches (because if I returned to collect them in 4-6 weeks time they'd be long gone - ripening bananas don't stay on the bunch - they're attacked by vertebrates and insects). Then I let them desiccate in a shaded, well ventilated room until the fruit are black and dried hard.

I then soak the mummified fruit and extract the seed.

I keep the cleaned seeds under about 2-3 cm (an inch) of water for as long as 3 weeks.

Finally I sow in unsterilised soil enriched with wood compost.

Unfortunately, I haven't done this enough times to be sure it's anywhere near an optimal method.

I have found that if I extract from fresh-picked fruit; the seeds don't come up.

So I'm wondering if there is a tested, established protocol; because I'm sure that collectors must run into the problem everywhere in the Musa native range: bunches everywhere... but none are near ripening!!!


shannon

shannon.di.corse@gmail.com