Cryopreservation of genetic resources of orchids native species and commercial hybrid with phloroglucinol

Abstract

Orchidaceae is one of the largest botanical family in the world, and its hybridization is a useful way to breeding with new color patterns, size and flower shape; more than 100,000 hybrids have been registered. Because of predation, increased agricultural frontiers and the impacts of climate changes, Orchidaceae has the largest number on the list of endangered species. The development of preservation methods of genetic resources like pollen, seeds and developing embryos (protocorms) by long-term storage are important strategies for germplasm conservation, breeding programs and orchid industry. Cryopreservation represents maintenance of biological material on liquid nitrogen temperature (-196 °C) and is the efficient way in terms of safety and low-cost for germplasm conservation. This work aims to cryopreserv genetic resources like seeds, pollen and protocorms of native species Cattleya walkeriana and the important hybrid Dendrobium 'Thong Chai Gold'. It will be evaluated the major cryopreserving protocols as vitrification of pollen and mature seeds, droplet-vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration of protocorms, all methodologies with or without 1% phloroglucinol, a recognized cryoprotector. Seedlings developed in vitro will be acclimatized in greenhouse and evaluated for whole plants, with no abnormalities growth, and will assist in determining germplasm banks useful for genetic breeding of the genotypes studied. (AU)