香蕉品種改良的新途徑

New Approaches to the Improvement of Banana Variety

鮮食用香蕉大多是三倍體品種，因減數分裂時染色體異常及不稔性因子，構成香蕉育種上的困難。六十多年來，傳統雜交育種方法，包括三倍體雜交選育及三或四倍體的合成，成效不大。近來生物科技發展日新月異，應用新技術於香蕉育種，望能有所突破。本文探討香蕉品種改良的新途徑，包括如何以莖頂分生組織、胚組織、體胚、花藥及細胞融合等，進行種源保存、體營養系變異的篩選、誘導突變、基因轉移及染色體組重組等工作，從而選育豐產、抗病、及其優良園藝性狀和品質的香蕉品種。這些新途徑的建立需賴各方合力研究，共同發展。

Most of the edible bananas are triploid in nature. Because of the abnormal chromosomal behaviour at meiosis and sterility factor, it is difficult to improve banana variety by using traditional hybridization methodology which includes the breeding at diploid, triploid and tetraploid levels. In recent years, because of the rapid development of biotechnology, it is possible to overcome such difficulties using new techniques. The objective of this paper is to discuss the various new approaches for banana improvement, including the use of meristem culture, embryo culture, somatic embryogenesis, anther culture and cell fusion etc. for germplasm preservation, selection among somaclonal variation, mutation breeding, gene transfer and chromosomal recombination. In order to apply these new technologies for banana improvement, multi-disciplinary approach is the key to success.