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Title: Improvement of cryopreservation technique for long-term storage of shoot tips of Ipomoea batatas

Author
item Jenderek, Maria
item Skogerboe, Dianne
item Ellis, David

Submitted to: Society for In Vitro Biology Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2008
Publication Date: 6/14/2008
Citation: Jenderek, M.M., Skogerboe, D.M., Ellis, D.D. 2008. Improvement of cryopreservation technique for long-term storage of shoot tips of Ipomoea batatas. Society for In Vitro Biology Proceedings. June 14-18, 2008. Tucson, Arizona.

Interpretive Summary: Roots of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatis) are an important food crop in sub-tropical and tropical regions. Being a vegetatively propagated crop, its genetic resources are predominantly preserved as field plantings and/or as tissue cultures. Cryopreservation is the most economic and reliable preservation method for many vegetatively-propagated germplasm collections, however long-term storage protocols developed are not applicable to all genotypes of a collection. Successful cryopreservation of some sweet potato germplasm is published in literature, however the survival rate reported could not be reproduced in our laboratory. Modifications developed in our laboratory to an original encapsulation-vitrification protocol by Hirai-Sakai significantly improved cryopreservation survival of 13 sweet potato germplasm accessions. The modification included an 8 hour dark incubation period of nodal sections prior to meristem excision, adjustments in the duration of post-re-warming treatment and minor changes in culture medium recipes.

Technical Abstract: Roots of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatis) are an important food crop in sub-tropical and tropical regions. Being a vegetatively propagated crop, its genetic resources are predominantly preserved as field plantings and/or as tissue cultures. Cryopreservation is the most economic and reliable preservation method for many vegetatively-propagated germplasm collections, however long-term storage protocols developed are not applicable to all genotypes of a collection. Successful cryopreservation of some sweet potato germplasm is published in literature, however the survival rate reported could not be reproduced in our laboratory. Modifications developed in our laboratory to an original encapsulation-vitrification protocol by Hirai-Sakai significantly improved cryopreservation survival of 13 sweet potato germplasm accessions. The modification included an 8 hour dark incubation period of nodal sections prior to meristem excision, adjustments in the duration of post-re-warming treatment and minor changes in culture medium recipes.