Different Cultivation Periods and Seedling Sources on the Growth of Kappaphycus alvarezii Cultivated in Pangkep Waters, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Red algae , Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex Silva has a high economic value due to its high Kappa-carrageenan contents (Bixler, 1996). However, climate change and improper planting patterns of K. alvarezii lead to lower production. This problem has been reported in countries such as In (Mexico), Fiji and the Philippines. Environmental changes highly affected the growth performance of the seaweed and their biochemical content. The study aimed to investigate the proper season, seed ling sources and strain of seaweed K. alvarezii for cultivation in Pangkep waters. The seaweeds were cultured using long line method. The seaweed was cultivated in Pangkep open waters using the ris rope with the cultivation distance of 20 cm between the seaweed seed ling s. The treatment of study consisted of the red strain (A), including Pangkep (A1), Bone (A2), and Lombok (A3), while the brown strain (B) consisted of the brown strain from Pangkep (B1), Bone (B2), and Lombok (B3), and the green strain (C) consisted of strain from Pangkep (C1), Bone (C2), and Lombok (C3). Seaweeds were cultivated in four periods of time, 1 st period (April - June) and 2 nd period (June – July), 3 rd period (August – September) and 4 th period (September – November). The seaweed was cultivated for 45 days. G rowth rates were determined using the DGR (Daily Growth Rate) . The results showed that the highest growth rate performance of the seaweed in the 1 st period I was observed in the red strain from Lombok (4.2 5 %) and cultivation 2 nd period was obtained in the brown strain from Bone (3. 08 %). The green strain from Bone and Pangkep showed a negative growth rate (- 1. 0 9 % and - 1. 5 9 %) in the same cultivation period. The negative growth rate occurred in all the strain seaweed in 3 rd and 4 th period. Therefore, season and the sources of the seaweed are important to be considered in seaweed cultivation in order to increase seaweed production. Red algae , Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex Silva has a high economic value due to its high Kappa-carrageenan contents (Bixler, 1996). However, climate change and improper planting patterns of K. alvarezii lead to lower production. This problem has been reported in countries such as In (Mexico), Fiji and the Philippines. Environmental changes highly affected the growth performance of the seaweed and their biochemical content. The study aimed to investigate the proper season, seed ling sources and strain of seaweed K. alvarezii for cultivation in Pangkep waters. The seaweeds were cultured using long line method. The seaweed was cultivated in Pangkep open waters using the ris rope with the cultivation distance of 20 cm between the seaweed seed ling s. The treatment of study consisted of the red strain (A), including Pangkep (A1), Bone (A2), and Lombok (A3), while the brown strain (B) consisted of the brown strain from Pangkep (B1), Bone (B2), and Lombok (B3), and the green strain (C) consisted of strain from Pangkep (C1), Bone (C2), and Lombok (C3). Seaweeds were cultivated in four periods of time, 1 st period (April - June) and 2 nd period (June – July), 3 rd period (August – September) and 4 th period (September – November). The seaweed was cultivated for 45 days. G rowth rates were determined using the DGR (Daily Growth Rate) . The results showed that the highest growth rate performance of the seaweed in the 1 st period I was observed in the red strain from Lombok (4.2 5 %) and cultivation 2 nd period was obtained in the brown strain from Bone (3. 08 %). The green strain from Bone and Pangkep showed a negative growth rate (- 1. 0 9 % and - 1. 5 9 %) in the same cultivation period. The negative growth rate occurred in all the strain seaweed in 3 rd and 4 th period. Therefore, season and the sources of the seaweed are important to be considered in seaweed cultivation in order to increase seaweed production.