1Department of Horticulture, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144 411, India
2Department of Fruit Science, KRCCH, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot-591 218, India
3Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Central Agricultural University, Pasighat-791 102, India
Department of Horticulture, B.A College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand-388 110, India
*E-mail: rajni.26356@lpu.co.in
Online published on 27 January, 2023.
Cryotherapy has a wide range of applications in agriculture, horticulture, biotechnology and breeding programs. Cryopreservation can be used as an alternative preservation method for various crops. Ultralow temperatures can be employed not only for germplasm storage butalsofortheeradicationof plantinfections.Itmaypotentiallyhaveapplications intheprotectionofendangeredplantspecies germplasm.A wide variety of horticultural crops, including fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants, have cryopreservation techniques that can be utilized as such or adapted for cryotherapy, which intensifies the eradication of pathogens in infected plant tissues. Several pathogens in some of the horticultural crops such as banana, Citrus spp., grapevine , Prunus spp., raspberry, potato and sweet potato have been eradicated using cryotherapy. Disease-free stock plants are necessary for propagation and healthy materials are required for the exchange of germplasm across nations or regions via quarantine programs. In addition, plant gene banks seek to keep germ-plasm collections free of pathogens. To tackle this challenge cryotherapy can act as an innovative method for the elimination of plant pathogens. This review analysed several methods and procedures for cryopreservation of plant germplasm and how it is helpful in eradicating pathogens.
Pathogen, Cryotherapy, Germplasm, Horticultural crops, Viruses
