Methods for long-term conservation of Norway spruce and oak embryogenic lines

This presentation is a review of some practical methods for the conservation of embryogenic lines, applied to forest trees (Oak and Norway spruce). Simple and not too expensive methods, based on encapsulation and,cryo-techniques, are compared with the classical ones, from the point of view of the efficiency of recovering and re-growth. The preservation of regeneration ability in recovered embryogenic tissues and embryos, prevention of senescence and possible genetic drift are analyzed. The results of a combined method of encapsulation and cryopreservation of oak embryos (recovery, development, plant regeneration) are also presented.