Water content limit for cryopreservation of pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.)

Traditionally, determining the ideal conditions for seed storage is obtained from experiments that study the combination of two factors: water content and storage temperature, monitoring the viability of the seeds over time. Based on the foregoing, the aim was to determine the water content limit to the freezing of the pomegranate seeds by cryogenics system, when stored at temperatures of -170 and -196 °C. The seeds have undergone to a process of wetting and drying until they achieve the moisture content of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14% on wet basis; shortly after, they were cryopreserved for five days and then defrosted gradually at temperatures of -196, -170, -80, 10 °C and room temperature with an interval of 3 hours for each temperature, in order to be conducted tests of germination and vigor. For purpose of a comparative analysis it was used storage of seeds at 25 °C and 70% relative humidity for the same period of time (5 days). The statistical design was completely randomized with 6 X 3 factorial arrangement represented by the water content and temperature, using four replicates per treatment. It can be concluded that the best percentage of germination and vigor of a pomegranate was obtained when these seeds were cryopreserved in nitrogen vapor (-170 °C), with a water content of 10% w.b.