Technology has been developed for long term cryopreservation of Nuclear Genetic diversity. Long term cryopreserved pollen in the form of nuclear genetic diversity (NGD) of citrus, papaya, grape, mango, tomato, eggplant, onion, capsicum, rose, gladiolus, gerbera, carnation and ret species of medicinal plants are maintained in liquid nitrogen. The pollen cryobank is managed by periodic replenishment of the cryogen, for maintaining a constant cryogenic temperature throughout the storage duration. This technology developed is globally acceptable and will be useful for production of hybrid seeds in the above-mentioned crops, besides its use in gene banks.
Although genetic conservation through pollen storage does not accomplish whole genome conservation, a breeder involved in genetic enhancement of a given crop can have access to a Pollen Cryobank facility, for nuclear genetic diversity (NGD) inputs in his amelioration program. Besides the already existing role of pollen cryobanks in breeding, there are many promising applications, which has come to focus with the recent advances in allied bio-scientific areas
Table 1:Pollen cryobank species coverage
|
Sl.No. |
Crop |
Species (Latin name) |
No. of cultivars/accessions |
|
1 |
|
Hemerocallis sp.
|
|
|
2 |
Mango |
Mangifera indica |
28 |
|
3 |
Citrus |
Poncirus trifoliata
|
64 |
|
|
|
Citrus aurantifolia |
|
|
|
|
C.limon |
|
|
4 |
Carnation |
Diathus caryophyllus |
|
|
5 |
Gladiolus |
Gladiolus species |
20 |
|
|
|
G.callianthus |
|
|
6 |
Grape |
V.vinifera |
81 |
|
|
|
V.labrusca |
|
|
|
|
V.candicans |
|
|
7 |
Papaya |
Carica papaya |
110 |
|
|
|
C.Cauliflora |
|
|
|
|
C.goudotiana |
|
|
8 |
Pomegranate |
Punica granatum |
10 |
|
9 |
Tomato |
Lycopersicon esculentum |
91 |
|
|
|
L.hirsutum |
|
|
|
|
L,pimpinellifolium |
|
|
|
|
L.peruvianum |
|
|
10 |
Lemon |
Citrus limon |
7 |
|
|
|
C.aurantifolia |
|
|
11 |
|
Catharanthus roseus |
|
|
12 |
Onion |
Allium cepa |
27 |
|
|
|
A. fistulosum |
|
|
13 |
Rose |
Rosa sp. |
40 |
|
|
|
R. indica |
|
|
|
|
R. multiflora |
|
|
14 |
Solanums |
Solanum erianthum |
91 |
|
|
|
S. indicum |
|
|
|
|
S. insanum |
|
|
|
|
S. integrifolium |
|
|
|
|
S. macrocarpum |
|
|
|
|
S. melongena |
|
|
|
|
S. sisymbrifolium |
|
|
|
|
S. torvum |
|
|
|
|
S. viarum |
THE POLLEN CRYOBANK AT IIHR, BANGLORE finds mention in Limca Book of Records-2001.