CRYOPRESERVATION OF WOODY SPECIES BY VITRIFICATION OF SHOOT TIPS AND EMBRYOGENIC TISSUE

The technique of vitrification/one-step freezing in liquid nitrogen has been applied to the cryopreservation (-196°C) of shoot tips and embryogenic tissue of various woody species, i.e., poplar (Populus spp.), plum (Prunus domestica), olive (Olea europaea), and horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). High percentages of shoot-tip survival were obtained with Populus alba (90%), Populus canescens (54%) and plum (47%) when the explants were exposed to the PVS2 vitrification solution (30% glycerol, 15% ethylene glycol, 15% DMSO in 0.4 M-sucrose MS medium) at 0°C for 60 min (poplars) or 90 min (plum), after which they were directly plunged into liquid nitrogen and thawed at 40°C. Lower post-thaw survivals were obtained with shoot tips of Populus nigra (22%) and olive (15%). Several portions of embryogenic tissue of both olive and horsechestnut survived cryopreservation, maintaining or even enhancing their morphogenic potential.
These results indicate that the vitrification procedure is a promising technique for the cryopreservation of a wide range of tissues from in vitro cultured woody plants.

IV International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and Horticultural Breeding

M. Lambardi, A. De Carlo, C. Benelli, G. Bartolini

cryopreservation, vitrification, germplasm, somatic embryogenesis

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.560.18