Abstract

The preservation of biological material at -196°C, that is, at liquid nitrogen temperature, or its vapor (between -150 and -178°C), is a long-term storage procedure called cryopreservation or cryoconservation. This article reports studies made in Brazil for cryoconservation of native plant species and highlights what might be the gap in this area of germplasm conservation. Most studies use seeds as plant material, and the great majority of those is orthodox, which means that countless species are being left out of this conservation effort, such as those with recalcitrant seeds and plants that do not produce seeds. Many articles addressed in this present work studied species threatened by anthropogenic activities and chose cryoconservation as a way to safeguard their germplasm. The Brazilian cryobanks, on the other hand, are still developing, with many studies yet to be made and many accessions yet to be incorporated to collections in order for them to achieve an ideal stage of operation.

Key words: Biodiversity, biotechnology, conservation, cryopreservation, preservation, seed.