Cryopreservation of in vitro Grown Shoot Tips of Red Bud Taro by Encapsulation-Vitrification

A simple procedure for cryopreservation of in vitro grown shoot tips of red bud taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott var. cormosus‘Hongyayu’) by encapsulation vitrification is investigated. Shoot tips were excised from 8 week old stock shoots and encapsulated into alginate gel beads. Encapsulated shoot tips were precultured in liquid MS medium supplemented with 35mg·L-1 6 BA, 05mg·L-1 IBA, 01mg·L-1 GA3 and 03mol·L-1 sucrose for 24h, then they were loaded with a mixture of 2mol·L-1 glycerol plus 04mol·L-1 sucrose for 30min at 25℃. After dehydration with PVS2 at 25℃ for 20min, the encapsulated and dehydrated shoot tips were plunged directly into liquid nitrogen. After rapidly rewarming in a 40℃ water bath for 3min, PVS2 was drained from the cryotubes and replaced third with liquid MS medium supplemented with 35mg·L-1 6 BA, 05mg·L-1 IBA, 01mg·L-1 GA3 and 12mol·L-1 sucrose and each kept for 10min at 25℃and then post cultured on solidified MS medium supplemented with 35mg·L-1 6 BA, 05mg·L-1 IBA and 01mg·L-1 GA3 in the dark for 3 days and then transferred to the light conditions. The average survival rate amounted to about 80%. Plantlets regenerated from cryopreserved shoot tips were morphologically uniform. This encapsulation vitrification procedure promises to become a routine method for the cryopreservation of shoot tips of Chinese genuine red bud taro.     

Cryopreservation of Jiangxi Yanshan Red Bud Taro (Colocasia esculenta var. cormosus cv. Hongyayu) Embryogenic Calli by Encapsulation dehydration

Cryopreservation of Jiangxi Yanshan red bud taro (Colocasia esculenta var. cormosus cv. Hongyayu) embryogenic calli by encapsulation dehydration was studied. The results showed that the optimal preculture condition of cryopreservation by encapsulation dehydration was precultured on MS medium supplemented with 075mol·L-1 sucrose for 3 days. The optimal dehydration method was dehydration by sterile air in a laminar flow hood for 7h or sterile dry silica gel for 11h. the optimal thawing temperature was 37℃ (2min). The optimal culture condition after cryopreservation was first in the dark for 7d and then transferred to the photoperiod of 14h·d-1. The average survival rate of embryogenic calli after cryopreservation by encapsulation dehydration was about 45%. Cryopreservation time and whether the removal of encapsulated calcium alginate had no significant impact on the survival rate. Morphological and cytological study demonstrated that the regenerants were genetically and morphological stable.     

Cryopreservation of in vitro-grown shoot tips of apple and pear by vitrification

In vitro-grown shoot tips of apples (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Fuji) were successfully cryopreserved by vitrification. Three-week-old in vitro apple plantlets were cold-hardened at 5°C for 3 weeks. Excised shoot tips from hardened plantlets were precultured on a solidified Murashige & Skoog agar medium (MS) supplemented with 0.7 M sucrose for 1 day at 5°C. Following preculture shoot tips were transferred to a 2 ml plastic cryotube and a highly concentrated cryoprotective solution (designated PVS2) was then added at 25°C. The PVS2 contains (W/V) 30% glycerol, 15% ethylene glycol and 15% dimethylsulfoxide in medium containing 0.4 M sucrose. After dehydration at 25°C for 80 min, the shoot tips were directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. After rapid warming, the shoot tips were expelled into 2 ml of MS medium containing 1.2 M sucrose and then plated on agar MS medium. Direct shoot elongation was observed in approximately 3 weeks. The average rate of shoot formation was about 80%. This vitrification method was successfully applied to five apple species or cultivars and eight pear cultivars. This method appears to be a promising technique for cryopreserving shoot tips from in vitro-grown plantlets of fruit trees.Abbreviations DMSO dimethylsulfoxide - EG ethylene glycol - PVS2 vitrification solution - LN liquid nitrogen - BA 6-benzylaminopurine - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - SE standard error - ABA abscisic acid     

Cryopreservation of in vitro-grown shoot tips of grapevine by encapsulation-dehydration

In vitro-grown shoot tips of the LN33 hybrid (Vitis L.) and cv. Superior (Vitis vinifera L.) were successfully cryopreserved by encapsulation-dehydration. Encapsulated shoot tips were precultured stepwise on half-strength MS medium supplemented with increasing sucrose concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 M for 4 days, with one day for each step. Following preculture, encapsulated shoot tips were dehydrated prior to direct immersion in liquid nitrogen for 1 h. After thawing, cryopreserved shoot tips were post-cultured on a post-culture medium for survival. An optimal survival of cryopreserved shoot tips was achieved when encapsulated shoot tips were dehydrated to 15.6 and 17.6% water content for the LN33 hybrid and cv. Superior, respectively. Comparison between the effects of dehydration with silica gel and by air drying on cryopreserved shoot tips, showed that survival was dependent on water content, not on dehydration method. The thawing method markedly affected survival of cryopreserved shoot tips, and thawing at 40 °C for 3 min was found best. No callus formation and fastest shoot elongation were obtained when cryopreserved shoot tips were post-cultured on the post-culture medium composed of half-strength MS supplemented with 1 mg l⁻¹ BA and 0.1 mg l⁻¹ NAA. With these optimized parameters, 60 and 40% survival of cryopreserved shoot tips were obtained for the LN33 hybrid and cv. Superior, respectively. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High-efficiency vitrification protocols for cryopreservation of in vitro grown shoot tips of rare and endangered plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Emmenopterys henryi</Emphasis> Oliv.

In vitro-grown shoot tips of Emmenopterys henryi Oliv. were successfully cryopreserved by vitrification. Shoot tips excised from 3-month old plantlets were precultured in a liquid hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.5 M sucrose for 3 days at 25°C and then treated with a mixture of 2 M glycerol plus 0.4 M sucrose (LS solution) for 40 min at 25°C. Osmo-protected shoot tips were first dehydrated with 60% vitrification solution (PVS₂) for 30 min at 0°C and followed by 100% PVS₂ for 40 min at 0°C. After changing the solution with fresh 100% PVS₂, the shoot tips were directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. After rapid warming in a water-bath at 40°C for 2 min, the shoot tips were washed for 20 min at 25°C with liquid MS medium containing 1.2 M sucrose and then transferred onto solid MS medium supplemented with kinetin 2 mg l⁻¹, α-naphthaleneacetic acid 0.1 mg l⁻¹, 3% (w/v) sucrose and 0.75% (w/v) agar. The shoot tips were kept in the dark for 7 days prior to exposure to the light (12 h photoperiod cycle). Direct shoot elongation was observed in approximately 12 days. The regeneration rate was approximately 75–85%. This method appears to be a promising technique for cryopreserving shoot tips of Emmenopterys henryi Oliv. germplasm.     

Simplified cryopreservation of sweet potato [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ipomoea batatas</Emphasis> (L.) Lam.] by optimizing conditions for osmoprotection

Shoot tips of sweet potato were successfully cryopreserved using an encapsulation vitrification method. Encapsulated shoot tips were pre-incubated in liquid Murashige-Skoog medium containing 30 g/l sucrose for 24 h, then precultured in sucrose-enriched medium (0.3 M sucrose) for 16 h. Shoot tips were osmoprotected with a mixture of 2 M glycerol and 1.6 M sucrose for 3 h before being dehydrated with a highly concentrated vitrification solution (PVS2) for 1 h at 25 degrees C. The encapsulated and dehydrated shoot tips were transferred to a 2 ml cryotube, suspended in 0.5 ml PVS2, and plunged directly into liquid nitrogen. Rapidly warmed shoot tips developed normal shoots and roots in 21 days without any morphological abnormalities after plating on a recovery medium. High levels (average of about 80%) of shoot formation were obtained for three cultivars of sweet potato. This encapsulation vitrification method appears promising for cryopreservation of sweet potato germplasm.     

江西铅山红芽芋胚性愈伤组织的包埋玻璃化超低温保存

为长期安全保存江西铅山红芽芋种质资源,本文以江西铅山红芽芋的胚性愈伤组织为对象,研究了包埋玻璃化冻存过程中各因素对细胞活力和愈伤组织成活率的影响,优化建立了江西铅山红芽芋胚性愈伤组织包埋玻璃化超低温保存体系。将约0.2 g胚性愈伤组织块包埋成海藻酸钙凝胶珠后,在25℃下转入MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1 mg/L NAA+0.75 mol/L蔗糖的培养基中于14 h/d光周期下预培养1 d;预培养后的胚性愈伤组织块用2 mol/L甘油和0.4 mol/L蔗糖的混合物在25℃下装载40 min;采用PVS2在25℃下脱水30 min,更换PVS2后直接投入液氮保存1 d;再将胚性愈伤组织块置于37℃恒温水浴中化冻3 min,然后用MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1 mg/L NAA+1.2 mol/L蔗糖的液体培养基洗涤3次,每次10 min;洗涤后的胚性愈伤组块转入MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1mg/L NAA固体培养基上先暗培养7 d再转到14 h/d光周期中培养。7 d后胚性愈伤组织块开始恢复生长,并且在30 d内分化出胚状体;将胚状体再次转入MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1 mg/L NAA固体培养基上,60 d后形成完整的植株。红芽芋胚性愈伤组织包埋玻璃化超低温保存后的平均成活率约为60%,并且红芽芋胚性愈伤组织冻后再生苗没有发生形态性状和染色体数目的变异,此结果为长期安全保存江西铅山红芽芋种质资源奠定了良好的基础。     

Micropropagation of the Thai orchid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Grammatophyllum speciosum</Emphasis> blume

Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were induced from shoot tips of Grammatophyllum speciosum, a Thai orchid. The highest frequency of PLBs (93%) were observed on explants incubated on 1/2-Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid medium containing 2% (w/v) sucrose without any plant growth regulators (PGRs). Tests with different carbon sources compared to sucrose revealed that maltose promoted the highest relative growth of G. speciosum PLBs (7-fold increase), while trehalose and sucrose yielded 5-fold and 4-fold increases, respectively. In 1/2 MS liquid medium, addition of 15 mg/l of chitosan promoted a 7-fold increase in PLB growth while 25 mg/l promoted a 4-fold increase. However, the relative growth rate in solid culture was significantly lower than that in liquid culture. In addition, chitosan supplementation in solid medium promoted shoot formation but not rooting. Plantlet regeneration was induced using a combination of NAA and BA supplementation in 1/2 MS solid medium with optimum induction shoot and root formation at 2.0 mg/l NAA and 1.0 mg/l BA. Using this protocol, approximately 8 months was required to obtain a hundred plantlets from one shoot tip. The plantlets showed no changes in ploidy when tested by flow cytometry.     

Cryopreservation of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) in vitro shoot tips

In this work, we compared the efficiency of encapsulation-dehydration and droplet-vitrification techniques for cryopreserving grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Portan shoot tips. Recovery of cryopreserved samples was achieved with both techniques; however, droplet-vitrification, which was used for the first time with grapevine shoot tips, produced higher regrowth. With encapsulationdehydration, encapsulated shoot tips were precultured in liquid medium with progressively increasing sucrose concentrations over a 2-day period (12 h in medium with 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 M sucrose), then dehydrated to 22.28% moisture content (fresh weight). After liquid nitrogen exposure 37.1% regrowth was achieved using 1 mm-long shoot tips and only 16.0% with 2 mm-long shoot tips. With droplet-vitrification, 50% regrowth was obtained following treatment of shoot tips with a loading solution containing 2 M glycerol + 0.4 M sucrose for 20 min, dehydration with half-strength PVS2 vitrification solution (30% (w/v) glycerol, 15% (w/v) ethylene glycol, 15% dimethylsulfoxide and 0.4 M sucrose in basal medium) at room temperature, then with full strength PVS2 solution at 0°C for 50 min before direct immersion in liquid nitrogen. No regrowth was achieved after cryopreservation when shoot tips were dehydrated with PVS3 vitrification solution (50% (w/v) glycerol and 50% (w/v) sucrose in basal medium).     

Cryopreservation of white poplar (Populus alba L.) by vitrification of in vitro-grown shoot tips

 Shoot tips from in vitro-grown, cold-hardened stock plants of white poplar (Populus alba L.) were successfully cryopreserved at –196  °C by one-step vitrification. After preculturing at 5  °C for 2 days on hormone-free MS medium containing different sucrose concentrations, and loading for 20 min with 2 m glycerol and 0.4 m sucrose, shoot tips were treated with the PVS2 vitrification solution and plunged directly into liquid nitrogen. Best survival rate (90%) was obtained when shoot tips were precultured on 0.09 m sucrose, hormone-free MS medium, vitrified by exposure to PVS2 solution for 60 min at 0  °C and, following cryopreservation, rewarmed at 40  °C and washed in 1.2 m sucrose solution for 20 min. Regrowth was improved by plating shoot tips on a gelled MS medium containing 1.5 μm N⁶-benzyladenine plus 0.5 μm gibberellic acid, while shoot rooting was achieved on MS medium containing 3 μm indole-3-butyric acid. Following this procedure, almost 60% rooted shoots were obtained from cryopreserved shoot tips. Received: 1 February 1999 / Revision received: 3 May 1999 · Accepted: 21 May 1999     

Cryopreservation of in vitro sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) shoot tips by a vitrification technique

 Sugar beet shoot tips from cold-acclimated plants were successfully cryopreserved using a vitrification technique. Dissected shoot tips were precultured for 1 day at 5  °C on solidified DGJ0 medium with 0.3 M sucrose. After loading for 20 min with a mixture of 2 M glycerol and 0.4 M sucrose (20  °C), shoot tips were dehydrated with PVS2 (0  °C) for 20 min prior to immersion in liquid nitrogen. Both cold acclimation and loading enhanced the dehydration tolerance of shoot tips to PVS2. After thawing, shoot tips were deloaded for 15 min in liquid DGJ0 medium with 1.2 M sucrose (20  °C). The optimal exposure time to both loading solution and PVS2 depended on the in vitro morphology of the clone. With tetraploid clones a higher sucrose concentration during cold acclimation and preculture further enhanced survival after cryopreservation. Survival rates ranged between 60% and 100% depending on the clone. Since only 10–50% of the surviving shoot tips developed into non-hyperhydric shoots, regrowth was optimized. Received: 13 September 1999 / Revision received: 2 March 2000 / Accepted: 16 March 2000     

细裂银叶菊叶的组织培养繁殖研究

以细裂银叶菊叶片为材料,进行愈伤组织的诱导、分化培养及生根诱导培养。结果表明：叶片愈伤组织的诱导以MS 2,4-D2mgL^-1 BA1mgL^-1 NAA0．1mgL^-1。培养基较好：分化培养以MStBA0．5mgL^-1 NAA0．1mgL^-1为好：生根诱导以1／2MS NAA0．01mgL^-4效果最好。     

Cryopreservation of Shoot Tips of Tetraploid Potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) Clones by Vitrification

In vitro-grown shoot tips of five tetraploid potato (SolanumtuberosumL.) clones were cryopreserved by vitrification. Excisedshoot tips (0.5–0.7 mm) were pre-cultured on filter paperdiscs over half strength liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) mediumsupplemented with 8.7 µMGA₃and different combinationsof sucrose (0.3, 0.5 and 0.7M) plus mannitol (0, 0.2 and 0.4M)for 2 d under a 16 h photoperiod at 24 °C. The pre-culturedshoot tips were either successively loaded with 20 and 60% PVS2 solutions or directly exposed to concentrated vitrificationsolution before physical vitrification during liquid nitrogentreatment. The vitrified shoot tips were warmed rapidly andtreated with dilution mixture (MS+1.2Msucrose) for 30 min beforeplating on regrowth medium. Addition of mannitol to the pre-culturemedium improved survival of vitrified shoot tips. Direct dehydrationof pre-cultured shoot tips with concentrated PVS 2 was detrimentalto survival of vitrified shoot tips. Shoot tips pre-culturedon medium containing 0.3Msucrose plus 0.2Mmannitol, and loadedwith 20% PVS 2 for 30 min followed by 15 min incubation in 60%PVS 2 and 5 min incubation in 100% PVS 2 at 0 °C resultedin up to 54% survival after vitrification. About 50% of vitrifiedand warmed shoot tips formed shoots directly. Post-thaw culturingof vitrified shoot tips on medium containing an elevated levelof sucrose (0.2M) under diffuse light for the first week enhancedthe survival rate. Continuous culturing of vitrified shoot tipson high-sucrose medium induced multiple shoot formation.Copyright1998 Annals of Botany Company Solanum tuberosumL., potato, cryopreservation, germplasm conservation,in vitroconservation, meristems, shoot tips, tissue culture, vitrification.     

金钗石斛♀×细茎石斛♂杂交F1代的离体快繁与试管开花(简报)

以金钗石斛♀×细茎石斛♂杂交F1代种子为材料,探索两种石斛杂交后代的快繁技术和诱导试管开花。结果表明,适于种子萌发的培养基为1/2MS + 6-BA 1.0 mg·L-1 + NAA 2.0 mg·L-1 + IBA 2.0 mg·L-1 +香蕉100 g·L-1;继代增殖培养基为1/2MS + 6-BA 0.2 mg·L-1 + NAA 1.0 mg·L-1 +香蕉100 g·L-1,增殖系数达4～5倍;不定芽诱导培养基为1/2MS + 6-BA 2.0 mg·L-1 + NAA 0.2 mg·L-1 +蛋白胨2 g·L-1,诱导率达93.3%,诱导系数达3.7;生根培养基为TH + 6-BA 0.5 mg·L-1 + NAA 1.0 mg·L-1,生根率可达91.7%,根数3～5条;花芽诱导培养基为6-BA 2.0 mg·L-1 + NAA 0.5 mg·L-1 + IBA 0.5 mg·L-1,花芽诱导率达8%。     

Micropropagation and acclimatization of Hedeoma multiflorum

A method for the micropropagation of Hedeoma multiflorum Benth from shoot tips or nodal segments was developed. Proliferating microshoot cultures were obtained by placing shoot tips or nodal segments on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with 22.2 μM BA or 22.2 μM BA plus 0.05 μM NAA. Individual shoots were excised and transferred into rooting medium containing auxins (IBA, NAA or IAA). Rooting of shoots was better on half-strength MS medium containing 0.6 μM IAA than on half-strength MS medium without growth regulators. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized to soil. Preconditioning at different sucrose concentrations prior to acclimatization had no effect on plant establishment, but influenced plant quality. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cryopreservation of chestnut by vitrification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>-grown shoot tips

Summary Plants of European chestnut (Castanea sativa) have been consistently recovered from cryopreserved in vitro-grown shoot apices by using the vitrification procedure. Factors found to influence the success of cryopreservation include the source of the shoot tips (terminal buds or axillary buds), their size, the duration of exposure to the cryoprotectant solution, and the composition of the post-cryostorage recovery medium. The most efficient protocol for shoot regrowth employed 0.5–1.0 mm shoot tips isolated from 1 cm-long terminal buds that had been excised from 3–5-wk shoot cultures and cold hardened at 4°C for 2 wk. The isolated shoot tips were precultured for 2d at 4°C on solidified Gresshoff and Doy medium (GD) supplemented with 0.2M sucrose, and were then treated for 20 min at room temperature with a loading solution (2M glycerol+0.4M sucrose) and for 120 min at 0°C with a modified PVS2 solution before rapid immersion in liquid nitrogen (LN). After 1 d in LN, rapid rewarming and unloading in 1.2M sucrose solution for 20 min, the shoot tips were plated on recovery medium consisting of GD supplemented with 2.2 μM benzyladenine, 2.9 μM 3-indoleacetic acid, and 0.9 μM zeatin. This protocol achieved 38–54% shoot recovery rates among five chestnut clones (three of juvenile origin and two of mature origin), and in all cases plant regeneration was also obtained.     

天门冬离体快繁技术

以无菌萌发的天门冬(Asparagus cochinchinensis)种子胚轴为外植体,研究植物生长调节物质种类及浓度对愈伤组织诱导、丛生芽分化和植株再生的影响,建立其离体快速繁殖技术。结果表明,愈伤组织诱导的适宜培养基为MS + 6-BA 1.0 mg·L-1 + NAA 0.5 mg·L-1,诱导率95.6;愈伤组织增殖培养基为MS + 6-BA 0.5 mg·L-1 + NAA 2.0 mg·L-1,增殖倍数为9.7;丛生芽诱导培养基为MS + 6-BA 0.5 mg·L-1 + NAA 0.1 mg·L-1 + KT 0.1 mg·L-1,诱导率为91.1;适宜的壮苗培养基为MS + 6-BA 0.2 mg·L-1 + IAA 1.0 mg·L-1;适宜的生根培养基为1/2MS + NAA 2.0 mg·L-1,生根率达84.4。本研究为构建天门冬药材产业化所需种苗生产技术体系奠定了基础。     

Cryopreservation of Hyoscyamus niger adventitious roots by vitrification

An auxin-independent adventitious root culture of Hyoscyamus niger was established, and the roots were successfully cryopreserved with a high regeneration rate of 93.3 percnt; by vitrification method. The root tips were cultured for 12 to 14 days in phytohormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid medium, and were excised and precultured on Woody Plant (WP) solid medium supplemented with 0.3 mol/L sucrose at 25 °C in the dark. After 1 day, they were treated with MS-based loading solution for 10 min, followed by soaking in MS-based PVS2 for 10 min at 0 °C. The treated root tips were immersed in liquid nitrogen (-196 °C). For recovery, the root tips were thawed rapidly at 40 °C and washed with MS medium containing 1 mol/L sucrose prior to plating onto WP solid medium. The regenerated roots were evaluated by their growth and tropane alkaloid production. The growth and alkaloid content of regenerated roots analyzed using HPLC were found to be almost the same as those of non-treated roots.     

Cryopreservation of shoot tips from the endangered endemic species Tuberaria major

Tuberaria major is an endangered endemic species from the Algarve, in the south of Portugal. We investigated two techniques for the cryopreservation of T. major shoot tips, namely vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration. Before the cryopreservation trials, shoot tips were precultured for 1 day on liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.3 M sucrose. For the vitrification method, shoots tips were exposed for 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min to plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2). As for the encapsulation-dehydration method, shoot tips were dried inside a laminar air flow cabinet for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h at room temperature. The highest regrowth percentages were approximately 60 and 67 % for vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration, respectively. The best times were 60 min exposure to PVS2 for vitrification and 3 h desiccation for encapsulation-dehydration. Though these are preliminary results, the use of the cryopreservation techniques tested here proved to be an important asset in the conservation of this endangered species and will complement the conservation strategies previously developed.     

An efficient,widely applicable cryopreservation of Lilium shoot tips by droplet vitrification

We report a straightforward and widely applicable cryopreservation method for Lilium shoot tips. This method uses adventitious shoots that were induced from leaf segments cultured for 4 weeks on a shoot regeneration medium containing 1 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.5 mg/l thidiazuron. Shoot tips (1.5–2 mm in length) including 2–3 leaf primordia were precultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS; 1962) medium with 0.5 M sucrose for 1 day and then treated with a loading solution containing 0.4 M sucrose and 2 M glycerol for 20 min, followed by a Plant Vitrification Solution 2 (PVS2) treatment for 4 h at 0 °C. Dehydrated shoot tips were transferred onto 2.5 µl PVS2 droplets on aluminum foil strips, prior to a direct immersion into liquid nitrogen for 1 h. Frozen shoot tips were re-warmed in MS medium containing 1.2 M sucrose for 20 min at room temperature, followed by post-thaw culture for shoot regrowth. Shoot regrowth levels ranged from 42.5 % for L. longiflorum × Oriental ‘Triumphator’ to 87.5 % for L. Oriental hybrid ‘Siberia’, with a mean shoot regrowth level of 67.1 % across the six diverse Lilium genotypes tested. Histological observations found that the survival patterns were similar in cryopreserved shoot tips of ‘Triumphator’ and ‘Siberia’. Assessments using inter-simple sequence repeat markers found no differences in regenerants recovered from the control stock cultures and from cryopreserved shoot tips in ‘Triumphator’ and ‘Siberia’. This Lilium droplet-vitrification cryopreservation method is efficient, simple and widely applicable for the long-term conservation of lily genetic resources.