Assessment of the effect of long-term seed storage on the viability of Matricaria chamomilla seeds after cryopreservation

Abstract

The article presents the study of influences of cryopreservation on seed germination of Matricaria chamomilla. Four varieties «Moscow Region», «Karagandinskaya», «Aibolit» and «Old Lekar» are used in the work. The seeds of the test species are cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen, followed by defrosting at room temperature and rapid defrosting in a water bath at temperature +40 Ԩ. After cryopreservation the seeds are planted in Petri dishes and placed in a climate chamber for determination laboratory germination. It is noted that the best results are obtained in the defrosting variant at the room temperature. So the maximum germination rate for variety «Karagandinskaya» was 84.0 %, energy of germination — 83.0 %; for «Aibolit» variety was 82.0 % and 81.0 %, respectively; «Moscow Region» variety had a minimum germination rate — 13.0 % and energy of germination 10.0 %. While for the «Old Lekar» variety, the optimal thawing mode was rapid thawing in a water bath at the temperature +40Ԩ; seed germination was 63.0 %, energy of germination — 62.0 %. Thus, it is necessary for receiving more viable seeds of varieties of Matricaria chamomilla after freezing in liquid nitrogen to apply the slow mode of thawing at the room temperature +24 Ԩ.