THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT INITIAL WEIGHT TO GROWTH OF TISSUE CULTURED SEAWEED Kappaphycus alvarezii SEEDS  

Asmanik*, Verly Darmawati,  Safe'i and Nico Runtuboy
 
Main Center for Marine Aquaculture (MCMA), Lampung-Indonesia
bbpbl.lampung@gmail.com

 

Kappaphycus alvarezii is one of seaweed species which is as good source of kappa carrageenan, therefore it is important to develop their cultivation technology. Supply of high quality and quantity of Kappaphycus alvarezii is to be one important factor regarding to increasing seaweed production. At the present time, tissue culture technology able to produce high quality and quantity of plantlets which is one stage prior to seed for grow out. The objective of the trial is to understand growth character of tissue cultured Kappaphycus alvarezii seeds which were planted with different initial weight in controlled semi-outdoor tank. The semi-outdoor tank culture is adaptation step before planting seed in the sea for grow out.

The trial was conducted in MCMA Lampung, meanwhile the tissue cultured plantlets was from SEAMEO BIOTROP Bogor. There were three different initial weight seeds as follows: A. 5 g; B. 10 g and C.15 g, each treatment tank has 2 replication tanks. Each tank filled with filtered seawater which was flow into the tank continuously. The seeds were placed in plastic basket and then installed 15 cm under the surface water.

The result showed that no significant difference for weight gain (WG) and daily growth rate (DGR) among treatment groups. WG for treatment A, B and C consecutively are 3.67±0.29 g, 5.94±0.23 g and 7.69±0.94 g; meanwhile DGR for treatment A, B and C are 1.67±0.10%; 1.41±0.04% and 1.25±0.13% respectively. However, there was a significant difference number of thalus branches among treatments. The number of thalus branches for treatment B is 241 ± 1.41 pieces, treatment C is 158 ± 5.66 pieces and treatment A is 83 ± 33.94 pieces.