The conservation of Tabebuia heptaphylla, an economically significant, endangered tree of the South Atlantic Forest is confined to arboreta. Although its seeds are orthodox, they do not withstand long-term storage in conventional seed banks, motivating the development of cryopreservation
for this species. Seeds within the moisture content (MC) range of 7.5% (0.08 gH2O.gDW-1) to 8.4% (0.09 gH2O.gDW-1) germinated after storage in liquid nitrogen (LN). Storage duration (15 min to 26 weeks) and rewarming regime (slow and rapid) did not
significantly influence germination, which ranged between 54-67%. As no additional cryoprotective treatments were required, the protocol is time-, cost- and technically-efficient. Because transport of seeds in LN is problematic for safety, logistic and technical reasons, the feasibility of
implementing germplasm transfer using T. heptaphylla seeds recovered from cryobanks was also tested. Viability was not negatively affected in seeds that had been rewarmed, recovered and maintained at room temperature for 2 weeks, allowing safe germplasm transfer in the unfrozen state.
The vigor of seedlings from cryopreserved seeds, which was evaluated 90 days after transfer to soil was not influenced by LN storage compared to the controls.
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Keywords:
ATLANTIC FOREST;
BRAZILIAN HARDWOODS;
CRYOBANK;
EX SITU CONSERVATION
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 July 2011
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CryoLetters is a bimonthly international journal for low temperature sciences, including cryobiology, cryopreservation or vitrification of cells and tissues, chemical and physical aspects of freezing and drying, and studies involving ecology of cold environments, and cold adaptation
The journal publishes original research reports, authoritative reviews, technical developments and commissioned book reviews of studies of the effects produced by low temperatures on a wide variety of scientific and technical processes, or those involving low temperature techniques in the investigation of physical, chemical, biological and ecological problems.