Concerning the problems associated with the long-term storage of Quercus acorns

Abstract

The long-term preservation of germplasm (seeds or pollen) is one of the most important methods for conserving forest genetic resources. In particular, the long-term storage of seeds has several advantages over pollen for the efficient conservation of genetic resources as most tree seeds have ‘orthodox’ characteristics and can usually be readily dried down for long-term storage. However, oak seeds (acorns) are ‘recalcitrant’ , which means that they do not tolerate moisture loss without adversely affecting viability, making it dif.cult to store them for a useful period. From previous studies, it has been determined that to maintain viability of oak seeds storage at low temperatures and humidity and protection from biotic damage (ex. insect, fungus) is vital. Additionally, new storage techniques involving freezing-should be trialled for Japanese oak species.