title: Cryopreservation of lipid-rich seeds: effect of moisture content and cooling rate on germination.
abstract: The effect of fast and slow cooling on germination of seeds from two Brassicaceae species (Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav., Brassica napus L. var. oleifera (Moench) DC cv. Bingo) and cypselas from three Compositae species (Onopordum nervosum Boiss., Onopordum acanthium L., Helianthus annuus L. cv. Viky) at different moisture contents was studied. Seed lipid content (dry weight basis) ranged from 15% (O. nervosum) to 41% (H. annuus). For each species, seeds with four moisture contents were cryopreserved either by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen or by previous cooling at 10 degrees C/min from room temperature to -50 degrees C. In three species (E. vesicaria, B. napus, and H. annuus) germination of air-dried (6.2-8.9% moisture content) seeds cooled by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen was not significantly different from germination of control seeds (air-dried, non-cooled). In the two Onorpordum species the best response among cooling treatments was observed when air-dried seeds were slowly cooled.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain. egonzalez@agricolas.upm.es
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: González-Benito
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-García
mesh_terms: D019659:Asteraceae / Q000254:growth & development; D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology*; D006813:Humidity; D008055:Lipids; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014867:Water