Storage of plant species with desiccation-sensitive germplasm in Compact Germplasm Bank.

Plant species sensitive to desiccation are difficult to store and transport in the germplasm bank for space travel. Applying plant tissue culture can help to create a Plant Germplasm Bank for this species. For this purpose, the Compact Germplasm Bank (CGB) was created to store and transport in vitro explants, maintaining them for long periods in slow-grown storage. This study aimed to evaluate the CGB efficacy in the storage in vitro explant of Taioba ( Xanthosoma sagittifolium ). For this, three CGBs were connected, side by side, with different LED light spectra (CGB1: Red spectrum; CGB2: 50% Red + 50% Blue spectra; CGB3: Blue spectrum), containing each one nine test tubes with taioba explants (one per test tube), and LED lights intensity adjusted for 30 µmol m ^-2 s ^-1 . The CGBs were maintained for 120 days in the darkroom, at 25 ^o C temperature and 50-60% humidity. Explant storage in CGB3 showed lower root numbers and root lengths than in CGB1 and CGB2. The Blue spectrum in CGB3 reduced the root oxidation and browning, resulting in 100% live explants. The CGB fulfilled its proposed function of storing the in vitro explants.