CRYOPRESERVATION TRIALS IN CARICA PAPAYA

Abstract

This paper reports on the results of some cryopreservation trials using shoot tips from in vitro plantlets of papaya (Carica papaya). Results in our laboratory have shown reproducibly high regeneration rates (around 70%) for shoot tips of one papaya genotype using a vitrification-based procedure. Here, we summarise results from these cryopreservation trials in papaya and include some preliminary results on 2 further genotypes, both of which show good regeneration rates (over 65%). These results suggest that the outcome of cryopreservation may not be genotype-dependent and that there is potential for the use of a vitrification-based approach to cryopreservation for routine long-term storage of a range of papaya germplasm.