Effect of coconut milk and number of subcultures on banana somaclonal variation

This research was conducted to study the effect of coconut milk concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 
20% v/v), separately or in combinations with subcultures number (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11), on 
occurrence of somaclonal variation in banana (Musa sp) using ISSR-based analysis. Absence of 
great number of bands distributed on various subcultures, were noticed when medium without 
coconut milk was used. These bands were Unique and distinctive to subculturing without coconut 
milk. Subculturing banana on media containing 5%, 10% or 20% coconut milk resulted in presence 
of most of bands. Polymorphism percentage of HB09 and HB12 primers were 100% and 41.7% in 
absence of coconut milk among subcultures from No. 5 to No, 11, whereas it was decreased to (14% 
and 8.33), (14% and 16.7) and (14% and 8.33) when coconut milk was added to the medium in 
concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 20% v/v),.  ISSR markers-based dendogram separated groups and 
subgroups for subculturing on medium without coconut milk. Plants grown on a medium containing 
coconut milk in various concentrations and various subcultures were clustered in two categories 
where the main category involved shoots of banana plant produced from various coconut 
concentrations from subcultures number 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Shoots produced from subculture number 
11 were gathered in a separate category. 5% coconut milk is recommended to make 10 subcultures 
without somaclonal variation.