Seed viability of less spread introduced conifer plants after storage in liquid nitrogen

Authors

  • Emma R. Arapetyan Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Lviv, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9517-8192
  • Maryna O. Shcherbyna Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Lviv, Ukraine
  • Yurii M. Usatenko Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Lviv, Ukraine

Keywords:

seeds, liquid nitrogen, cryopreservation, viability, conifers, gene pool, Cupressaceae, Pinaceae

Abstract

Tolerance of seeds of plants from the family Cupressaceae (Cypress) Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson's cypress), Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cypress), Platycladus orientalis (Oriental broadleaf) and Pinaceae (Pine) Larix kaempferi (Kaempfer's larch), Pseudotsuga menziesii (Menzies' pseudotsuga), Tsuga сanadensis (Canadian hemlock), which according to the International Classification are less spread plants, to storage conditions in liquid nitrogen were investigated for the first time. The results of scientific research into the preservation of seeds in liquid nitrogen, as a source of genetic information, confirmed that the investigated seeds of plants introduced in Western Ukraine retained their viability after storage. Soil germination of cryopreserved seeds increased compared to the control variant on 0.7% for C. japonica, 7.4% for L. kaempferi or decreased in T. canadensis by 2%. The growth and development of the control seedlings do not differ from seedlings obtained from cryopreserved seeds.

Probl Cryobiol Cryomed. 2026; 36(2): 122—127

References

Arapetyan ER. Cryopreservation of plant seeds of natural and introduced flora of Western Ukraine. Comparative analysis of obtained data. In: Laska G, editor. Biological diversity - from cell to ecosystem. Bialostok: Polish Botanical Society; 2018. p. 51-60.

Barbour JR, Parresol B. Effect of liquid nitrogen storage on seed germination of 51 tree species. Southern Research Station National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation. Seed Technology. 2003; 25(2): 181-8.

Barton LV. Seed storage and viability. Contributions from Boyce Thompson Institute. 1953; 17:87-103.

Bonner FT. Storage of seeds: Potential and limitations for germplasm conservation. Forest Ecology and Management. 1990; 35(1-2): 35-43. CrossRef

Bramwell D. The response of botanic gardens to climate change. BGjournal. 2007; 4(2): 3-8.

Brown H, Escombe F. Note on the influence of very low temperatures on the germinative power of seeds. Proc Royal Soc Lond. 1898; 62, 160-5. CrossRef

Chaudhury R, Malik SK. Implementing cryotechniques for plant germplasm: storing seeds, embryonic axes, pollen and dormant buds. Acta Horticulturae. 2014;1039: 273-80. CrossRef

[Fruits and seeds of trees and shrubs cultivated in the Ukrainian SSR]. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka; 1991. 315 p. Russian.

Gonzalez-Benito ME, Iriondo JM, Pérez-García F. Seed cryopreservation: an alternative method for conservation of Spanish endemics. Seed Sci Technol. 1998; 26 (1):257-62.

Grishchenkova AA, Ryazantsev VV, Gulevsky AK, Chaplay EV. A cryobank of the seeds of rare and extinct species of herbal plants of the Ukraine. Problems of Cryobiology. 1996; (2): 32-4.

Ivchenko T, Vitsenya T, Shevchenko N, Bashtan N, Kornienko S. Hypothermic and low-temperature storage of garlic (Allium sativum L.) for in vitro collections. Probl Cryobiol Cryomed. 2017; 27(2): 110-20. CrossRef

Kartha K, Engelmann F. Cryopreservation and germplasm storage. In Vasil K, Thorpe TA, editors. Plant cell and tissue culture. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Pubishers; 1994. p. 195 - 230. CrossRef

Kaviani B. Conservation of plant genetic resources by cryopreservation. AJCS. 2011; 5(6): 778-800.

Kohno MA, Gordienko VI, Zakharenko GS, et al. [Dendroflora of Ukraine. Wild and cultivated trees and shrubs. Gymnosperms]. Kyiv: Vyscha Shkola; 2001. 207 p. Ukrainian.

Lu X, Chen X, Cui C. Germination ability of seeds of 23 crop plant species aftera decade of storage in the National Gene Bank of China. PGR News Lett. 2018; 139: 42-6.

Manuilsky V, Martin G, Sytnik K. [Cryoresistance of plant pollen at different humidity levels]. Ukrainian Botanical Journal. 1980; (4): 14-5. Russian.

Mondoni A, Probert RJ, Rossi G, Vegini E, Hay FR. Seeds of alpine plants are short lived: implications for long-term conservation. Ann Bot. 2011; 107 (1): 171-9. CrossRef

PMid:21081585 PMCid:PMC3002479

Moukadiri O, Lopes CR, Cornejo MJ. Physiological and genomic variations in rice cells recovered from direct immersion and storage in liquid nitrogen. Physiol Plant. 1999; 105: 441-9. CrossRef

Panis B, Lambardi M. Status of cryopreservation technologies in plants (crops and forest trees). In: Raune J, Sonnino A, editors. The role of biotechnology in exploring and protecting agricultural genetic resources. Roma: FAO; 2006. p. 61-78.

Pita JM, Sanz V, Escudero A. Seed cryopreservation of seven Spanish native pine species. Silvae Genetica. 1998; 47(4): 220-3.

Solberg SQ, Yndgaard F, Andreasen C, et al. Long-term storage and longevity of orthodox seeds: a systematic review. Frontiers Plant Science, [Internet]. 2020 July 03 [cited 2025 Oct 18]; 11:1007. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.01007/full CrossRef

Stanwood PC. Cryopreservation of seed germplasm for genetic conservation. In: Kharta KK, editor. Cryopreservation of plant cells and organs. Boca Ratón: CRC Press; 1985. p. 199-226. CrossRef

Stribul TF, Lesiv TK. [The effect of freezing on vegetable seeds]. Kriobiologija. 1990; (2): 39-43. Russian

Styles ED, Burgess JM, Mason C, Huber BM. Storage of seed in liquid nitrogen. Cryobiology. 1982; 19 (2): 195-9. CrossRef

The European Botanic Gardens in the decade on biodiversity - challenges and responsibilities in the countdown to 2020. Proceedings of the EuroGard VII. (Paris. 2015 July 6-10). [Internet]. [Cited 2023 Nov 18]. Available from: https://www.bgci.org/files/EUConsortium/EuroGard%20vii/EuroGardVII.pdf

Trusiak M, Patrycja Plitta-Michalak B, Michalak M. Choosing the right path for the successful storage of seeds. Plants. [Internet]. 2023 (2022 Dec 23) [cited 2025 Oct 18]; 12 (1): 72. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/72 CrossRef

Walters C, Wheeler L, Stanwood PC. Longevity of cryogenically stored seeds. Cryobiology. 2004; 48 (3): 229-44. CrossRef

Williams S, Sharrock S. Botanic gardens: and their response to the global strategy for plant conservation. BGjournal. 2010; 7 (2): 3-7.

Wu Y, Huang X, Xiao J, Li X, Zhou M, Engelmann F. Cryopreservation of mango (Mangifera indica L.) embryogenic cultures. CryoLetters. 2003; 24 (5): 303-14. PubMed

Published

2026-07-14

How to Cite

Arapetyan, E., Shcherbyna, M., & Usatenko, Y. (2026). Seed viability of less spread introduced conifer plants after storage in liquid nitrogen. Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine, 36(2), 122—127. Retrieved from https://journal.cryo.org.ua/index.php/probl-cryobiol-cryomed/article/view/2195

Issue

Section

Cryopreservation of Biological Resources