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Title: Effect of geographical location, year and cultivar on survival of Malus sp. dormant buds stored in vapors of liquid nitrogen

Author
item Jenderek, Maria
item Forsline, Philip
item Postman, Joseph
item Stover, Eddie
item Ellis, David

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2011
Publication Date: 9/1/2011
Citation: Jenderek, M.M., Forsline, P.L., Postman, J.D., Stover, E.W., Ellis, D.D. 2011. Effect of geographical location, year and cultivar on survival of Malus sp. dormant buds stored in vapors of liquid nitrogen. HortScience. 46:1230-1234.

Interpretive Summary: Clonal woody crop germplasm collections often originate and are grown in distinct geographical locations. Since the degree of cold-hardiness is thought to be a factor in the successful use of dormant bud cryopreservation for Malus, it was suggested that material from relatively warmer climates would not respond as well as material from colder environments. To test the this hypothesis, the effect of growing provenance on cryosurvival of dormant buds from three Malus (apple) cultivars grown in three locations (Geneva, New York, Davis, California, and Corvallis, Oregon), was tested in three consecutive years. Dormant winter buds were harvested at the three locations, cryopreserved, rehydrated and bud viability was tested by grafting. The collective three-year mean viability for cryopreserved dormant apple buds for the three locations ranged from 63 to 81% of the buds surviving. Only Braeburn, harvested at Geneva, NY (in 2007) and at Davis, CA (in 2009) had significantly lower viability. These results suggest that the growing location may not be a hindrance to the application of the Malus dormant bud cryopreservation method to other woody fruit or nut crops, enabling a long-term preservation of many dormant woody crops.

Technical Abstract: Woody plant crop germplasm is often grown in different geographical locations with various climatic conditions. One of the methods of a secure back-up of tree crop is storing winter buds in liquid nitrogen. It was thought that dormant buds from colder climates would have a higher post storage survival than material from warmer climates. In this study, dormant apple buds of three cultivars (Braeburn, Jonagold and Liberty) harvested at three locations (New York, California and Oregon) with different climatic conditions, during three consecutive years were tested for cryopreservation survival. The collective three-year mean survival for cryopreserved dormant apple buds for the three locations ranged from 63 to 81% of the buds surviving. These results suggest that the growing location may not be a hindrance to the application of the Malus dormant bud cryopreservation method to other woody fruit or nut crops, enabling a long-term preservation of many woody crops.