In vitro medium term conservation of tropical plant germplasm is used routinely in many laboratories. Growth reduction is achieved by modifying various parameters, such as temperature, culture medium, gaseous environment. For long term conservation, cryopreservation (i.e. storage in liquid nitrogen, −196°C) is the only current method available. Each successive step of the process requires precise conditions which have to be defined for each material. Cryopreservation protocols have been set up for more than 40 tropical species. Results obtained with various culture systems such as cell suspensions, protoplasts, calluses, meristems and embryos are discussed. The first example of the large scale application of cryopreservation (oil palm somatic embryos) is presented.