Premium
Desiccation sensitivity and successful cryopreservation of oil seeds of European hazelnut ( Corylus avellana )
Author(s) -
Michalak M.,
Plitta B.P.,
Chmielarz P.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/aab.12059
Subject(s) - desiccation , seedling , biology , germination , desiccation tolerance , cryopreservation , recalcitrant seed , horticulture , botany , embryo , microbiology and biotechnology
Abstract The sensitivity of a Polish provenance of dormant Corylus avellana seeds to extreme desiccation and cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen ( LN , −196°C) was investigated. No sensitivity to desiccation was observed as seeds readily germinated and exhibited seedling emergence, even when the critical water content ( WC ) of seeds (nuts devoid of pericarp) was reduced to 0.027 g H 2 O /g dry mass, g g −1 by drying. Results of germination and seedling emergence tests indicated that seeds tolerated cooling in LN when desiccated to a WC in the range of 0.05–0.10 and 0.08–0.10 g g −1 , respectively. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of long‐term cryopreservation of European hazelnut seeds. As the seeds of this species have been classified in several different categories (orthodox, suborthodox and recalcitrant), based on their response to desiccation and low temperature, the assignment of the seeds of hazelnut to a specific category is provided and discussed.