In vitro propagation of "Kepok Grecek" banana (

The "Kepok Grecek" banana is a locally distinguished cultivar from East Kalimantan and is widely cultivated in Kutai Timur District, East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. Its strong commercial demand and established presence in international markets position it as a promising commodity for large-scale cultivation. Achieving such expansion requires a dependable supply of high-quality, genetically uniform planting materials. This initial study on the in vitro propagation of Kepok Grecek examined the effects of various concentrations of the plant growth regulators 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on shoot initiation and subsequent multiplication. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used, consisting of 16 treatment combinations of BAP (0, 1, 2, and 3 mg L−1) and IAA (0, 0.125, 0.150, and 0.175 mg L−1), each replicated four times, with Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium as the basal medium. For the multiplication phase, BAP concentrations were increased tenfold. Observed parameters included explant survival, browning, contamination, morphological responses, and the number of nodules or shoots produced. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Least Significant Difference (LSD) testing at the 5% level. Findings indicated that the interaction between BAP and IAA significantly affected early morphological development. The combination of 2 mg L-1 BAP with 0.175 mg L-1 IAA produced the most favorable initiation response, with all explants showing swelling and initial division within 7-10 days. During multiplication, treatment with 20 mg L-1 BAP and 0.175 mg L-1 IAA generated the highest nodule count (14.5 per explant). Overall, the results demonstrate that coordinated application of BAP and IAA markedly enhances the efficiency of micropropagation for the Kepok Grecek banana derived from sucker explants.