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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » National Clonal Germplasm Repository » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #69104
Title: MEDIUM AND LONG TERM STORAGE OF IN VITRO CULTURES OF TEMPERATE FRUIT AND NUT CROPS.

Author
item Reed, Barbara
item CHANG, YONGJIAN - HEBEI ACAD.OF AG.&FOR.SCI

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Research in slow-growth and cryopreservation, storage at liquid nitrogen temperatures, has greatly advanced in the last decade. These storage procedures are now defined for many important temperate fruit and nut crops and are being developed for many more. In vitro and cryopreserved collections of important germplasm are now establishted in several countries and some genera are primarily held as in vitro plants. In vitro collections are increasingly used to eliminate virus diseases, for medium-term storage (1-5 yr), and for the global distribution of vegetatively propagated crops. Cryopreservation is now practical as a long-term storage method (100 yr) for collections of clonal crops formerly preserved only as field collections. Future advances in cryopreservation will make the techniques applicable to more genera. Both cryopreservation and slow-growth storage can be implemented to provide added security for the preservation of economically important clonal genetic resources.

Technical Abstract: In vitro storage systems are valuable as a backup to field genebanks, and in some countries satisfy quarantine restrictions to promote disease and insect-free germplasm exchange. In vitro culture systems are available for most temperate fruit and nut crops, but information on medium-term storage is limited for many genera. Published research is available for Actinidia, ,Fragaria, Malus, Morus, Prunus, Punica Pyrus, Ribes, Rubus, and Vitis; however most studies are restricted to a few genotypes and storage conditions. There are no published reports of in vitro medium-term storage systems for temperate nut trees. Cryopreservation (storage in liquid nitrogen at -196oC) is considered an ideal method for long-term germplasm storage (more than ten years). At cryogenic temperatures cell division and metabolic processes are stopped, and genetic change is unlikely. Minimal storage space and maintenance efforts are needed for cryopreserved samples. During the last two decades cryopreservation methods have been developed for many species of temperate fruit and nut crops including Actinidia, Carya, Castanea, Corylus, Fragaria, Juglans, Malus, Morus, Prunus, Pyrus, Ribes, Rubus, Vaccinium, and Vitis.