The study was executed from the period of 2014 to 2015 seasons at the tissue culture
laboratory of the Horticulture department, Faculty of Agriculture – Assiut University
In vitro grown banana plantlets of Grand Nain and Zeev cultivars were treated with
NaCl at 0,30,60,120, and 200 mM/L to study the effect of salinity stress on the plantlets
or with PEG at 0,10,20,30, and 40g/L for drought investigation. The obtained results
could be concluded as follow:
1-Effect of salinity: Plantlet height, fresh weight, dry weight and number of
leaves/plantlet significantly decreased by increasing the NaCl concentration from Zero
to 200 mM/L for both tested cultivars during 2014 and 2015 season. Total chlorophyll
and K+ content significantly decreased, while sodium content significantly increased by
increasing NaCl concentrations as compared with untreated plantlets (control).
2- Effect of drought: The effect of PEG at different concentrations took approximately
the same tendency as NaCl concentrations concerning the vegetative and chemical
characterestcs of both Grand Nain and Zeev plantlets during both investigated seasons