The contribution of in vitro technology and cryogenic storage to conservation of indigenous plants

Abstract

In vitro culture has enabled a variety of recalcitrant and threatened plant taxa to be micropropagated in the absence of viable conventional propagation methods. Cryogenic storage research has provided alternative protocols for efficient long-term germplasm storage for many plant species. Recent advances in tissue-culture methods such as somatic embryogenesis have enabled the production of >20 000 somatic embryos of a recalcitrant native Australian rush in a few months, far higher than other in vitro methods for these types of plants. Cryogenic protocols are reported for >30 species of Australian vascular plants, seed and numerous mycorrhizal fungi (mainly orchid spp.), greatly extending the range and type of material that can be stored through the application of cryogenic methods. The role of in vitro and cryogenic research initiatives in botanic gardens for plant biodiversity conservation and restoration is discussed, using examples of successful ex situ conservation through tissue-culture and cryogenic-storage research.