ULTRASTRUCTURAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSES DURING PROCEDURAL STAGES OF CRYOPRESERVATION OF Ekebergia capensis FROM DIFFERENT PROVENANCES

摘要

Recalcitrant seeds are typically metabolically active, shed at relatively high water contents and are produced mostly by tropical or sub-tropical tree species. Recalcitrant seeds of tropical origin may be chilling sensitive as a consequence of provenance. Cryopreservation, the storage of biological material at ultra-low temperatures, is currently the only viable long term storage of recalcitrant germplasm. This study investigates changes in oxidative metabolism, ultrastructure and viability between cryopreserved embryonic axes from seeds originating in Port Elizabeth (Cape) and St Lucia (KZN).