Cold Acclimation of Suspension Cultures of Pinus sylvestris in Response to Light and Temperature Treatments

Suspension cultures of Pinus sylvestris L. (Provenance Södra Ydre) were used to determine frost hardiness after manipulating daylengths and temperatures. Frost hardiness was determined with the triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction method. The cultures were able to acclimate and increase frost hardiness levels; both low temperature (2 degrees C) and short day (8 h) treatments were used at the same time, but increased survival temperatures were not achieved when only one type of stimulus was used. Inasmuch as intact seedlings can be partially acclimated by a single type of stimulus, the results indicate that the organization of the cells to tissues plays a role for the hardening process in vivo.