Considerations for large-scale implementation of dormant budwood cryopreservation

Abstract

Cryopreservation of clonal plant germplasm is a reliable way to preserve important agronomic traits and protect against loss of crop genetic diversity of many horticultural species. Dormant bud cryopreservation techniques present an efficient alternative to the labor-intensive shoot tip cryopreservation process and may allow a single technician to preserve large quantities of germplasm in a season. This method of cryopreservation takes advantage of the natural dormancy in cold hardy crops, making it a viable technique for only deciduous trees and shrubs. Many factors must be considered when attempting to perform dormant bud research methods to applied-level germplasm preservation efforts. This process is necessarily a seasonal endeavor, which puts strain on labor and facilities particularly in winter. Integration of methods and procedures using different crop species or new equipment provides additional challenges that must be tested in advance. By identifying variables of dormant bud processing in cryopreservation literature, options emerge that allow for the modification of reported methods to work within the confines of institutional resources. Infrastructure, pre-processing, and recovery stages are discussed in terms of necessity and available alternatives to allow informed decision making in establishing an applied dormant budwood genebank.