Growth, agar yield and quality of selected agarophyte species from the Philippines

Authors
Arano, KG Trono, GC Montano, NE Hurtado, AQ Villanueva, RD
Citation
Kg. Arano et al., Growth, agar yield and quality of selected agarophyte species from the Philippines, BOTAN MARIN, 43(6), 2000, pp. 517-524
Citations number
42
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences
Journal title
BOTANICA MARINA
ISSN journal
00068055 → ACNP
Volume
43
Issue
6
Year of publication
2000
Pages
517 - 524
Database
ISI
SICI code
0006-8055(200011)43:6<517:GAYAQO>2.0.ZU;2-C
Abstract
Three local agarophyte species (Gracilaria firma, Gracilaria sp. and Gracil ariopsis bailinae) were grown under controlled outdoor flow-through culture conditions. Growth rates and agar characteristics of the three species wer e determined. Gracilaria firma showed superior growth and agar quality amon g the three species. It exhibited the highest growth rate, highest agar gel strength and was observed to be highly resistant to epiphytes. Growth expe riments under various light and ammonium combinations showed that the highe st photon flux density level (900 mu mol m(-2)s(-1)) and moderate ammonium (150 muM NH4Cl) concentration gave the highest growth rates for all species . The single and interactive effects of light and ammonium enrichment on gr owth and agar characteristics of the three species were highly significant.