Use of cryopreservation for setting up a bank of oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. somatic embryos

The oil palm somatic embryo cryopreservation technique which was recently developed by Engelmann and Duval (1986) ensures the regular resumption of 10% to 30% of frozen embryoids. The same results have been observed with embryoids stored for 15 months in liquid nitrogen. Plantlets obtained from frozen material are now growing in the IRHO/CIRAD La Me Research Station nursery, Cote d'Ivoire. So far their development has been normal. From now onwards cryopreservation seems applicable to the storage of embryoid strains produced by #in vitro# culture. The use of this process, which is reliable, inexpensive, and easy to employ, will reduce the risks of variability due to #in vitro# culture and facilitate the management of the laboratories producing clonal plantlets of oil palm. (Résumé d'auteur