Cryopreservation and plant regeneration from somatic embryos of Pinus patula

Embryogenic tissue of Pinus patulla Scheide et Deppe was cryopreserved for 8 weeks using sorbitol and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as cryoprotectants. Res ults indicate that 0.3 M sorbitol and 5% DMSO had the best cryoprotecting e ffect. The recovered tissue initially underwent a lag phase but then contin ued to proliferate normally on MSG3 maintenance medium. Recovered tissue wa s placed onto MSG5 maturation medium, and embryos were isolated and germina ted. Plantlet regeneration from the recovered tissue was achieved.