title: Cryopreservation of auricula shoot tips using the encapsulation/dehydration technique.
abstract: Calcium alginate encapsulated, in vitro culture derived shoot tips of the florist's auricula, cultivar Embley, were successfully cryopreserved using the encapsulation/dehydration technique. The use of preculture media containing both sucrose and mannitol was essential for post-thaw growth. After 2 weeks cold acclimatisation at 10 degrees C, shoot tips were encapsulated and incubated in culture medium containing 0.25 M sucrose and 0.25 M mannitol for 48h, followed by 23h dehydration with silica gel (water content of beads approximately 16%) prior to plunging into liquid nitrogen. Post-thaw growth of the shoot tips was without callus formation. The morphology of frozen and non-frozen shoots was comparable.
authors.affiliation: Horticulture Section, Wye College, Wye, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH, UK. shs-rh@wye.ac.uk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hornung
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D018520:Plant Shoots; D029623:Primulaceae / Q000254:growth & development