Preculture sugarcane tissue in sucrose-supplemented culture medium to induce desiccation tolerance

Abstract

Cryopreservation is a promising technique for long term conservation of sugarcane’s genetic resources whichcould be used in breeding programs. Preculture is a key step for success this technique. The purpose of this study was toevaluate the effect of sucrose concentrations and preculture period on dessication tolerance of sugarcane tissue dehydrated to30, 20 and 10 % moisture. Sugarcane shoot tips were encapsulated in sodium alginate and precultured in a liquid culturemedium with 0.3, 0.5, and 0.75 M sucrose. Preculturing in 0.3 M sucrose was ideal to induce desiccation tolerance in tissue.This sucrose concentration reduced the percentage of electrolytic leakage. Shoot tips were sensitive to a sucrose concentrationof 0.75 M, resulting in low survival rates after desiccation. Preculturing in 0.5 M sucrose resulted in a higher survival rateafter drying for 5.7 and 7.45 h. The percentage of electrolytic leakage was high when shoot tips were desiccated afterpreculturing in 0.5 and 0.75 M sucrose.

Keywords

• electrolytic leakage
• shoot tips
• tissue culture.