Table 1.

Desiccation sensitivity, as estimated by the water content at which 50% of the initial viability was reached, WC₅₀, high moisture freezing limit (HMFL), percentages of seedlings recovered after desiccation to HMFL and direct immersion into LN (rapid cooling) or by a precooling to −50°C at 1°C min⁻¹ prior to immersion in LN (slow cooling), unfreezable water content of endosperm, WC_u, and corresponding water activity, a_wu, and water potential, Ψ _u, and percentage of unsaturated fatty acids in total lipids of seeds of 9 coffee species classified in 3 groups according the percentages of seedling recovery after LN exposure (g g⁻¹=g H₂O g⁻¹ DW; ND=not determined). ^a The desiccation sensitivity model could not be applied because no decline in seed viability was observed at the lowest water content tested, 0.14 g H₂O g⁻¹ DW.

Group	Species	WC50 (g g−1)	HMFL (g g−1)	Normal seedlings (%)		WCu (g g−1)	awu	Ψ u (MPa)	Unsaturated fatty acids (%)
				Rapid cooling	Slow cooling
1	C. brevipes	0.20	–	0	0	ND	ND	ND	47.2
	C. canephora	0.17	–	0	0	0.28	0.86	−20	54.4
	C. liberica	0.29	–	0	0	0.26	0.85	−22	48.6
	C. stenophylla	0.16	–	0	0	ND	ND	ND	49.2
2	C. arabica	0.11	0.21	0	17	0.21	0.78	−34	43.9
	C. eugenioides	0.11	0.26	8	19	0.26	0.86	−21	42.0
3	C. pseudozanguebariae	0.06	0.14	73	68	0.14	0.75	−38	38.1
	C. racemosa	<0.14a	0.23	67	73	0.24	0.83	−25	40.4
	C. sessiliflora	<0.14a	0.19	81	76	0.18	0.79	−32	35.3