Cryopreservation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

•Edible oil is derived from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), a tropical plant.•Cryopreservation can effectively preserve oil palm germplasm.•The most commonly used explant for cryopreservation are somatic embryos.•Pollen, zygotic embryos, seeds, and kernels can also be cryopreserved.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), a tropical plant, is the leading source of edible oil. This review deals with the cryopreservation of oil palm as a way to preserve this important tropical germplasm. Somatic embryos have been the most popular source of material for cryopreservation as they are propagules that are effectively produced during micropropagation. In contrast, fewer studies exist on the cryopreservation of pollen, zygotic embryos, seeds, kernels and embryogenic cell suspensions. This review highlights the ideal protocols, in detail, in a bid to offer guidance for further advances in oil palm cryopreservation.