CRYOPRESERVATION OF WHOLE SEEDS AND EXCISED EMBRYOS OF PTEROCARPUS INDICUS

Abstract

A study was conducted to show the feasibility of using liquid nitrogen for the long term storage of both whole seeds and excised embryos of Pterocarpus indicus. A woody plant medium containing 2-3 mg 1 ^-1 of either benzylaminopurine (BAP) or kinetin was found suitable for the normal development of cryopreserved embryos. Whole seeds dried to a moisture content of 4 - 6% could be successfully cryopreserved with a good recovery percentage. The critical moisture content for excised embryos was found to be around 5%.