Cryopreservation is a promising technique for long term conservation of sugarcane's genetic resources which could be used in breeding programs. Preculture is a key step for success this technique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of sucrose concentrations and preculture period on dessication tolerance of sugarcane tissue dehydrated to 30, 20 and 10 % moisture. Sugarcane shoot tips were encapsulated in sodium alginate and precultured in a liquid culture medium with 0.3, 0.5, and 0.75 M sucrose. Preculturing in 0.3 M sucrose was ideal to induce desiccation tolerance in tissue. This sucrose concentration reduced the percentage of electrolytic leakage. Shoot tips were sensitive to a sucrose concentration of 0.75 M, resulting in low survival rates after desiccation. Preculturing in 0.5 M sucrose resulted in a higher survival rate after drying for 5.7 and 7.45 h. The percentage of electrolytic leakage was high when shoot tips were desiccated after preculturing in 0.5 and 0.75 M sucrose.
electrolytic leakage; shoot tips; tissue culture
