The most production constrain on Vanilla planifolia Andrews plantation recently has been caused by foot rot disease that later influence in decreasing the yield product. This disease is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (Fov). So far, the disease has not been successfully prohibited although some experiments had been conducted. The use of foot rot resistant cultivar has been introduced, which expected has high yield as one alternative method for controlling this disease. A resistant vanilla plantlet to Fov has been initiated by in vitro selection on MS medium containing fusaric acid (FA) on selective concentration. The purpose of research were to study and determine: 1) The proper combination of 2,4-D and NAA for callus initiation and shoot development from shoot tip explants, along with proper concentration of BAP for shoots initiation from nodal explants; 2) The FA concentration of plantlet selection tolerant to steady growth; 3) The proper concentration of FA for in vitro selection for suppressing the Fov. Results showed that: 1) the proper concentration of both combination between 2,4-D and NAA is about 2,0 mg/L and 10 mg/L respectively for callus initiation and shoot development from shoot tip explants; also the BA concentration is 1,0 mg/L for shoot initiation from a nodal explants; 2) the FA tolerant concentration for plantlet selection with vanilla steady growth is between 90 ppm-110 ppm; 3) the 110 ppm of FA was effective for suppressing the Fov compared to 90 ppm and 100 ppm respectively.
Keywords: Vanilla planifolia Andrews, the vanilla foot rot disease, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vanillae, in vitro, fusaric acid