Overview
Part of the book series: Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry (AGRICULTURE, volume 32)
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About this book
The germ plasm of numerous plant species, especially those of forest trees, some agricultural crops, and medicinal plants, is endangered and threatened with extinction. This depletion of germplasm pools and the shrinkage of naturally occurring genetic resources have caused international concern. Conventionally, the germplasm of plants is conserved through seeds, tubers, roots, corms, rhizomes, bulbs, cuttings, etc. However, the germ plasm of a number of trees and plantation crops (such as coconut, cocao, coffee, oil palm, rubber, mango, horse chestnut, etc. ) cannot be preserved since their seed are short-lived (recalcitrant). Likewise, germplasm of vegetatively propagated crops (such as potato and cassava) cannot be stored on a long term basis and has to be grown and multiplied periodically in nurseries and fields. The plants are thus exposed to unpredictable weather conditions and diseases, with the result that instances are known where entire genetic stocks are lost. Therefore, unconventional methods are being developed for the storage and international exchange of germplasm. For this purpose in vitro cultures have been employed, but they can only enable short-to medium term preservation; moreover, cell cultures upon repeated subculture undergo genetic erosion. In view of the recent developments in the in vitro induction of genetic variability through somaclonal variation, somatic hybridization, recombinant DNA technology, etc. , new methods need to be employed for the storage of desirable cultures. In this regard freeze preservation of cells in liquid nitrogen (-196 0q, like that of semen, enables long-term storage, theoretically, for an indefinite period of time.
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Table of contents (35 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Cryopreservation of Cells, Tissues, Organs, and Recalcitrant Seeds
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Front Matter
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Cryopreservation of Germplasm of Trees
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Front Matter
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Editors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Cryopreservation of Plant Germplasm I
Editors: Y. P. S. Bajaj
Series Title: Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03096-7
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
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eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1995
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-540-57451-4Published: 29 September 1995
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-642-08184-2Published: 01 December 2010
eBook ISBN: 978-3-662-03096-7Published: 09 March 2013
Series ISSN: 0934-943X
Series E-ISSN: 2512-3696
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXII, 514
Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Plant Sciences