CRYOPRESERVATION OF STRAWBERRY SHOOT TIPS BY ENCAPSULATION-DEHYDRATION

Abstract

In vitro grown strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) shoot tips were successfully cryopreserved using an encapsulation-dehydration procedure. Encapsulated shoot tips were precultured on MS medium supplemented with different sucrose concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 M) for 24 h and dehydrated (1 to 5 hours) in a sterile laminar air flow prior to direct immersion in liquid nitrogen (-196degree). A maximum of 63% regrowth of cryopreserved shoot tips was obtained following preculture in 0.75 M sucrose solution and 4 h dehydration. Plants produced from control and cryopreserved shoot tips were phenotypically similar.

Keywords

• shoot tip
• conservation
• dehydration
• Fragaria
• liquid nitrogen