Location:
Project Number: 3012-21000-016-008-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2014
End Date: Jul 31, 2019
Objective:
1) Identify method to recover Vitis shoot tips after excision
2) Determine extent of cryoprotectant solution toxicity on excised shoot tips
3) Perform cryopreservation experiments for shoot tips excised from greenhouse and in vitro grown Vitis accessions from USDA-National Plant Germplasm System collections.
Approach:
Many countries, including the US and Egypt, maintain grape genetic resource collections within ex situ genebanks. Accessions are made available to scientists for research and breeding purposes. These collections are expensive and vulnerable when maintained in field and greenhouse conditions. The Egyptian National Gene Bank is set up as a national plant genetic resources centre that maintains and makes available many different plant genetic resources, including Vitis. The USDA also maintains a National Genebank called the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). Vitis collections are maintained in two field locations (Davis, CA and Geneva, NY) and a base collection is located Fort Collins, CO at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation.
This research will focus on performing Vitis cryopreservation research to identify improved methods for long-term conservation of Vitis accessions under liquid nitrogen conditions. The research will seek to improve the efficiency of published results by using source plant material available from the greenhouse or field, rather than using in vitro derived shoot tips. The cryopreservation research will identify preferred cryoprotectant solutions, desiccation timecourses, and freezing rates for high survival post liquid-nitrogen exposure.
