AbstractA study was conducted to facilitate increased dehydration of excised wampee (cv. Jixin) axes by manipulating culture conditions leading to increased possibilities of successful cryopreservation. Silica gel-dried axes had decreased water content (49.3-31.1%). Plumules were damaged but hypocotyls and radicles still grew well. After preculturing with a sucrose gradient, axes were cultured on woody plant medium (WPM) for 30 days. Increasing sucrose concentration recorded heavier plumule damage and decreased water content and plantlet formation. Upon raising sucrose concentration to 35%, water content decreased to 47.8% and all axes lost plantlet formation ability, i.e. they had only hypocotyls and radicles, but not plumules and could not form normal seedlings. Preculturing axes on WPM for 3 weeks produced seedlings with 10-mm-long hypocotyls and roots. Using silica gel to dry sprouting axes to 46.9% water content resulted in loss of viability (30%), withered roots (60%) or normal appearance (10%). Sprouting axes precultured for 7 days on WPM containing 27% sucrose prior to dehydration with silica gel all survived and appeared normal at 46%. Monitoring water content for root tissue separately from surviving hypocotyls and shoot portions of dehydrated sprouting axes revealed serious dehydration in roots. The drying rate of radicles was faster than that of hypocotyls and shoots. Sprouting axes grew well after drying to 37% moisture content (60% sucrose concentration); however, continued drying (65% sucrose) gave fewer normal seedlings. Gradient-sucrose preculture and silica gel treatment lowered the axes water content to 25.3% (55% sucrose) or 17.6% (60% sucrose), and 64 or 51% of seedlings, respectively, survived with withered roots. Sprouting axes with a living plumule but withered root retained the capacity for new root formation, when cultured on WPM with the appropriate combination and concentration of NAA and IBA.