Cryopreservation of the seed material of Achillea ledebourii

Abstract

In the article is described the method of cryopreservation of seed material of Achillea ledebourii. This endemic plant contains essential oils, alkaloids and glycosides. Conservation of species with limited distribution areas is a priority task. The most promising method for storing biological material is preservation in liquid nitrogen or in vapors. To maximizing viability of seeds various endocellular cryo protectants are used: glycerol, sucrose, ethylene glycol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and preservative mixtures. Seeds are frozen by simple immersion in liquid nitrogen. As a result of the experiments, it was determined that sucrose at a concentration 5 % and dimethyl sulfoxide — 10 % shew the best cryo protective properties. In the first case, seed germination after cryo freezing was 113 % concerning control data, which could be explained by the affection of the stratification effect; in the second case — 92 % from control data. The use of mixtures of cryoprotectants showed no synergistic effect, and, in comparison with pure substances, the degree of preservation of seed viability was less. The obtained data can be used for introducing this species into the cryo collection of seed material of endemic plants of Kazakhstan.