Cryopreservation as a New Promising Method of the Long-Term Storage of Biological Material. Cryopreservation of Scotch Pine and Norway Spruce Seeds

1991

S. 693-704

14 Lit. Ang.

Unselbständiges Werk

200062050

Lesnictvi 1991 ; 37(8-9), S. 693-704

In the present paper a new promising method of the long-term storage of biological material is described; this method has not yet been used in the Czechoslovak forestry, and the suitability of this method with respect to forest seed storage is tested. This method of cryopreservation consists in the preservation of biological material at extremely low temperatures (-135 Grad C to -196 Grad C). Storage of biological material for hundreds of years without any loss of its vigour and quality is one of the advantages of this method. The seeds of Scotch pine and Norway spruce were the test material. There were two techniques of seed cryopreservation: 1) cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen, 2) air cryopreservation in the Queue freezing box. The results of seed cryopreservation in these species are very good. It was demonstrated that neither the vigour nor the quality of treated seed was different from the characteristics of seed stored in a traditional way. When the cryopreservation techniques of other kinds of seed have been mastered, this method could be used for the long-term storage of genetically valuable seed and of seed with the short life cycle (seed germination of 1/2 to 3 years).