MACRO-PROPAGATION
TECHNIQUE IN ABACA
Mindoro Fiber Seedbank & Expt
Station
Socorro, Or. Mindoro
PhilFIDA Regional Office IV
Introductio
n
Micro-propagation through tissue culture
is one way of mass producing abaca
planting materials.
However, most farmers can not afford to
buy due to its higher cost as compared to
the other forms of abaca planting material.
A cheaper and alternative method in
mass producing clean APM in a shorter
time is through macro-propagation. It
does not require sophisticated equipment
and laboratory as it can be done in farmers
field.
METHODS OF MACRO-
PROPAGATION
1. Field Technique
• False decapitation
• Complete decapitation
2. Detached Corm technique
Whole corm
Split corm
Excised buds
Meristem drilling
PIF/plants resulting from stem fragments
Advantages: Detached Corm technique
• Higher number of seedlings produced
• Uniform growth of seedlings
• Seedlings obtained are less prone to
stress once established in the field.
Supplies and Materials:
• Wood/Bamboo
• Polyethylene Sheets (Thick
• Used drum
• Sharp knife
• Basins
• Pail
• Hand gloves
• Fungicides
• Chlorox
• Polyethylene bags, 3”x6”
• Growing Substrate
(Sawdust, rice hull, coir
• Healthy/clean planting
material (corm, sucker,
eyebuds)
Steps:
1. Construction of propagators
• For sprouting of shoots and rooting/hardening of new
seedlings
Convenient size: 1.5 (width) x 5.0 (length) x 1 (height)
meters
Covered with transparent polyethylene sheet – temp and
humidity to be high
Important: at least 50% shade is provided so the
fragile seedlings are well protected by
constructing a shade above the propagators.
Should be kept clean always.
Steps:
2. Sterilization of growing media and filling
up of propagators
Growing media sterilized for 1
hour
Media can be sawdust, rice hull,
coco pith
Steps:
3. Selection of initial planting materials
Planting materials should be clean/healthy
Starter planting materials could be corms,
sword suckers or maiden suckers
Steps:
4. Preparation of materials (suckers/corms)
• Removing of
roots,
leafsheaths,
paring and
• Wash in clean water
rinsing
and rinse in 10%
chlorox solution
• Soak in fungicide
solution for 20
minutes
• Air-dry/incubate for 24 hrs
All exposed buds should be
scarified! !
Steps:
5. Planting of detached corms (either split
or whole corm)
Spaced 30cm
and covered
fully with the
substrate
(whole corm)
Spaced 10cm and
covered approx.
2cm with the
substrate (split
corm)
Substrate should
be watered
immediately after
planting
Scarified planting
material
Steps:
6. Management of the propagator/growing
chamber
• Water plants only when
necessary. If plastic
sheets are moist, no
watering needed.
Large shoots obtained after 3 weeks-
this can be manipulated (scarified
again) to produced secondary
plantlets. Apical dominance destroyed
by cutting the shoots and make an X in
the middle of the remaining corm.
Steps:
6. Potting mixture preparation
• Substrates can be top soil, sawdust,
rice hull, coir with composted
organic matter ([Link]); steam
sterilized
• Mixing of potting • Bagging/potting of soil
substrates
Steps:
7. Rooting and
acclimatization/planting in polybags
• Plantlets with 2-3 leaves are
detached, those with roots planted
directly in the potting mixture and
those without roots are replanted in
sawdust
Plantlets starting to
emerge after 2
weeks
• 2-3 seedlings detached from one planting
material, however it was brought back to
the growing chamber as it has still
Seedlings after 3 and 4 weeks from
sowing
Primary seedlings arising from the
initial planting material
Seedlings ready for separation and
planted in poly bags
Or some will be scarified to destroy
apical dominance to produce more
shoots (secondary plantlets to
grow)
• After separating the large
seedlings, the planting
material was returned back to
the growing chamber for
sprouting as it has emerging
• Large seedlings detached from
the initial planting material.
• Healthy seedlings at 6
weeks from initiation
Farmers’ & AEW training – June
19,2018
June 24, 2017
Farmers’ & AEW training
Date: June 19,2018
Venue : Baco
Visitation after 1.5 months
