Cryopreservation for Seedbanking of Australian Species

Recent studies have indicated that a large number of native Australian species can be stored in liquid nitrogen using relatively straightforward methods. Furthermore, it is estimated that seed from at least 40% of the rare and endangered species of Western Australia could be maintained through use of these cryopreservation techniques. However, before cryopreservation of seed of Australian species can be implemented as a routine technique, physical and chemical properties of seed must be studied. This study has shown that successful cryopreservation of seed could be influenced singly or by a combination of hardseededness, moisture, lipid content, fatty acid and amino acid composition. The study also details the role of in vitro methods for determining seed viability/recovery of species that are either damaged by liquid nitrogen or are difficult to germinate.