Abstract Trees were regenerated from six white spruce embryogenic clones after cryopreservation for 3 and 4 years, respectively. Genetic stability was evaluated using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) fingerprints. Somaclonal variation was
detected in some in vitro embryogenic cultures 2 and 12 months after they were reestablished following cryopreservation but not in the corresponding regenerated
trees. These results suggest that trees regenerated from cryopreserved cultures in subsequent years are primarily genetically stable in the genomic regions tested and
that variation observed due to the in vitro culture process infrequently affects trees regenerated from normally maturing and germinating somatic embryos.
However, trees regenerated from somatic embryos that matured or germinated abnormally in in vitro culture exhibited altered RAPD fragment patterns.