ABSTRACT
GROWTH, BIOMASS PRODUCTION, AND CARRAGEENAN CONTENT OF
SEAWEED Kappphycus alvarezii FERTILIZED WITH AMMONIUM AND NITRATE
UNDER INDOOR CULTURE SYSTEM
By: Rajuddin Syamsuddin*
Objetives of the study were to find out the optimum concentration of ammonium (in Urea =
CO(NH2)2) and nitrate (in potassium nitrate = KNO3) fertilizer, singly and in combination
which can result highest growth rates, biomass production, and carrageenan content of
Kappaphycus alvarezii.. The experiment was conducted in the Wet Laboratory of Takalar
Center for Brackishwater Aquaculture (BBAP Takalar), Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi
Province and at the Water Quality Laboratory, the Deparment of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine
Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Makassar. Styrofoam boxes were used as culture
basins. The set-up were illuminated with 40 watt cool white flurescent lights which spreads
photon to the algae thllus. The plant thallus with an initial fresh weight of 50 gram were placed
on the bottom of each basin. Seven treatments were tried, namely, 40 ppm NO3, 50 ppm NO3,
40 ppm NH4, 50 ppm NH4, (20 ppm NO3 + 20 ppm NH4), (25 ppm NO3 + 25 ppm NH4), and
control (no fertilizer), with 3 replictes each. The biological data were analysed statistically.
Overall data showed that nitrate (NO3) gave higher growth rate, biomass production, and
carrageenan content of K. alvarezii compared to ammonium (NH4). Relatively higher growth
rate, biomass production, and carrageenan content of the seaweed were obtained when 20 ppm
NO3 combined with 20 ppm NH4 compared to other treatments. Combination of both nutrients in
higher dosages (25 ppm NO3 + 25 ppm NH4) surpress the growth, biomass production as well as
carrageenan content. The lowest was performed by control.. Water temperature, salinity, pH,
carbon dioxide, and orthophosphate concentration during the experiment were within the optimal
range for the seaweed growth and development.
Key Words : Kappaphycus alvarezii, growth, production, carrageenan, N fertilization
*Lecturer of Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Makassar
Kampus UNHAS Tamalanrea, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM 10, Makassar
Email : rajuddinsyamsuddin@yahoo.com; HP
: 081355565099
INTRODUCTION
The seaweed Kappaphycus alvrezii had been grown under indoor system at several
laboratories in Indonesia and several other countries,. Under such culture condition, certain
environmental parameters must be manipulated in the culture media included the macro nutrient,
nitrogen availability.
Nitrogen was known as the most often limiting for the seaweed
metabolism (Dawes, et al., 1993; Sulistijo,. 2002, and Ditjenkan Budidaya, 2005). Both nitrate
and ammonium nitrogen could be utilized at the sametime by the algae (Sahoo dan Ohno, 2003).
Urea and potassium nitrate were widely used fertilizers as ammonium and nitrate source
respectively. These easily found fertilizers in the local market were also used to fertilized the
seaweed Gracillaria sp in the brackishwater fishpond.
Objectives of the study was to determine whether N03+ or NH4+ or combination of both
(N03+ plus NH4+ ) was preferred by the seaweed K.alvrezii for its growth, biomas production,
and carrageenan content, and how much of the nutrients needed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The experiment was conducted on april to July 2011 in the Wet Laboratory of Takalar
Center for Brackishwater Aquaculture (BBAP Takalar), Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi
Province. Analyses of carrageenan content and water quality parameters of the water culture
media were performed at the Water Quality Laboratory, the Deparment of Fisheries, Faculty of
Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Makassar.
Styrofoam boxes with 46 cm, 32 cm, and 28,5 cm, length, width, and height, respectively,
were used as culture basins, they were all filled with 40 liters of sand filtered seawater. The setup were illuminated with 40 watt cool white flurescent lights which spreads 58 – 65 mol photon
ms-1 light intensity to the algae thllus. The plant thallus with an initial fresh weight of 50 gram
were placed on the bottom of each basin.
Urea (CO(NH2)2) and KNO3 fertlizers were used as ammonium and nitrate sources,
respectively. Seven treatments were tried, namely, 40 ppm NO3, 50 ppm NO3, 40 ppm NH4, 50
ppm NH4, (20 ppm NO3 + 20 ppm NH4), (25 ppm NO3 + 25 ppm NH4), and control (no
fertilizer), with 3 replicates each. Randomized Complete Design (RCD) was experimentaldesign
adopted. The biological data were analysed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) continued
with W-Tukey Test. The condition of water quality parameters of the culture media were
analysed descriptively referred to literatures.
Daily growth rate was determined weekly adopted the following formula (Dawes et. al,
1993) :
DGR (%) =
ln (Wt / W0)
t
x 100 ; DGR = daily growth rate (%)
Wt = final fresh weight (g) at t day
W0 = initial fresh weight (g)
T = the number of culture days
Biomass production was determined at the end of experiment by using the following
formula :
Pr =
Wt - W0) ; Pr = biomass production (g/m2)
A
Wt = final fresh weight (g) at the end of the experiment
W0 = initial fresh weight (g) at the beginning of the experiment
A= area of the culture basin (m2)
Carrageenan content was analyzed with NaOH extraction and computed by applying
formula :
Carrageenan content (%) = (Gram carrageen weight/gram dry Sample weigtoht) / x100
Water quality parameters such as salinity with hand refractometer, pH by pH meter,
temperature with thermometer, carbondioxide with titrimetric (Strickland and Parsons, 1970),
and orthophosphate with spectrometric (Strickland and Parsons, 1970). They were all as
supporting data.
RESULTS
Data on growth rate, biomass production, and carrageenan content of K. alvarezii
are presented in the following table :
Table . Daily Growth Rate, Biomass Production, Carrageenan Content of K. alvarezii
Daily
Biomass
Carrageenan
Treatments
Growth Rate
Production
Content
2
(%/day)
(g/m )
(%)
______________________________________________________________________________
A.
40 ppm NO3
2.45+0.07a
79.29+ 3.83ab
45.91+1.30b
B. 50 ppm NO3
2.38+0.15a
75.58+ 8.05ab
46.30+3.02b
C. 40 ppm NH4
2.11+0.35a
62.55+15.64b
45.40+1.03b
D. 50 ppm NH4
2.07+0.24b
60.29+11.30b
44.38+1.08bc
E. 20 ppm NO3 + 20 ppm NH4
2.67+0.03a
92.19+ 2.03a
53.65+2.66a
F. 25 ppm NO3 + 25 ppm NH4
2.12+0.28a
62.80+12.80b
47.35+0.90b
G. Control (No fertilizer)
1.38+0.05c
32.85+ 1.62c
40.25+1.41c
Means with same superscript are not significantly different from each other
Growth
Nitrate (NO3) singly gave higher growth rate of K. alvarezii compared to ammonium.
NH4 singly. Higher growth rate of the seaweed was obtained when 20 ppm NO3 combined with
20 ppm NH4 compared to growth rate under nitrate singly.
However lower growth rate
performed by the plant when concentration (dosages) of both increased to 25 ppm each (25 ppm
NO3 + 25 ppm NH4). Lowest growth rate was performed by control (no fertilizers added).
Biomass Production
Biomass production was consistently following the growth rate of K. alvarezii which was
also higher when the plants were fertilized with nitrate compared to ammonia. Highest biomass
production of the seaweed was obtained when 20 ppm NO3 combined with 20 ppm NH4, and
growth rates were decreased when both nutrients dosage were rised to 25 ppm each. Lowest
biomass production was also obtained by control.
Carrageenan Content
Carrageenan content was also high when the plant was fertilized with NO3. Highest
carrageen content of the plant was obtained at combination of NO3 with NH4. Low carrageen
content when the plants were supplied with higher NH4 singly or in combination with NO3.
Carrageenan content of K. alvarezii in this study was higher compared to several previous
studies (Yusuf dan Syamsuddin 2005;
Alimuddin dan Syamsuddin, 2011; Akmal dan
Syamsuddin, 2011).
Water Temperature, Salinity, pH, Carbondioxide, and Orthophosphate Concentration
Water temperature ranges of 29 – 30oC, salinity ranges of 30 – 31 ppt, water pH levels
ranging from 7.2 to 7.7,
carbondioxide concentration ranges of 0.7- 1.5 ppm, and
orthophosphate 0.41 ppm.
DISCUSSIONS
Growth
Higher growth rate when this plant was fertilized with nitrate could be attributed to nitrate
reductase (enzyme which reduce nitrate to ammonium previous to incorporation of N to organic
compound in the cell) activity induced by nitrate. This enzyme stimulate vegetative (thallus)
growth (Peni dkk, 2003). Nitrogen added to the water (culture media) in the form of ammonium
possibly be oxidized to nitrate due to well aerated condition during, before it is absorbed by
plant. In the case of high NH4 concentration (50 ppm), plant performed lowest growth rate due
to NH4 inhibit the work of nitrate reductase enzyme. It could also be due to stimulation of
nitrate reductase breakdown and stopping (Conway, 1977; Hipkins et al., 1980; Claussen and
Lenz, 1999).
Finding of Gentry (1982) that several higher plant perform better when they are fertilized
with combination of nitrate and ammonium than they are singly, similar to the highest growth
rate noted of K. alvarezii at 20 ppm NO3 + 20 ppm NH4 in this experiment. All at once indicate
that these dosages of both ions were the optimal dosages if both nitrogen forms supplied in
combination (added at the sametime), compared to combination of nitrate with ammonium in
higher concentration (25 ppm NO3 + 25 ppm NH4) which gave lower growth re ofhe plan.
Biomass Production
High biomass production was always following the high growth rate of K. alvarezii (Yusuf
dan Syamsuddin, 2005; Syamsuddin, 2009; Akmal dan Syamsuddin, 2011; Alimuddin dan
Syamsuddin, 2011).
Carraageenan content
Samething with biomass production, carrageen content of K. alvarezii was also positively
related with growth rate. Hurtado et al. (2008) and Hurtado et al. (2009) was stated that
carrageenan content of K. alvarezii was strongly related to its growth rate. Naguit and Tisera
(2009) were aslo noted the strong relationship of E. denticulatum with its growth rate.
Higher carrageenan content of K. alvarezii (40.25 – 53.65%) compared to several previous
studies could be attributed to nutrient (nitrogen) addition into the water media which bring about
to increasing of phycocolloid synthesis of algae.
As stated by Luning (1990) that essential
nutrients (included nitrogen) in sufficient amount could increase polysaccharides (carrageenan)
synthesis.
Water Temperature, Salinity, pH, Light Intensity, Carbondioxide, and Orthophosphate
Concentration
The recorded water temperature ranges was considered as to be ideal for the growth of K.
alvaerzii (Kusnendar, 2002; Anggadiredja et al, 2006) , salinity ranges were within tolerable
limits for the growth and development of K. alvarizii (Anggadiredja et al, 2006), ater pH levels
was considered to be within optimal range for K. alvaerzii (Anggadiredja et al, 2006),
carbondioxide concentration ranges were also within tolerance limit for the algae (Yulianto,
2003; Farid, 2008), and orthophosphate concentration were within lolerance for the plant (Ditjen.
Budidaya, 2005)
CONCLUSIONS
Higher growth rate, biomass production, and carrageenan content performed by K.
alvarezii when the plant was fertilized with 20 ppm nitrate combined with 20 ppm ammonium.
Low when the plant fertilized with ammonium singly. Work of nitrate reductase activity in this
experiment induced intensively due to intensive oxidation of ammonium to nitrate by well
aerated culture condition as well as under nitrate enrichmen through fertilization. This enzyme
was suppressed when ammonium concentration was high in water media.
Higher carrageenan content of K. alvarezii in this study compared to several previous
studies could be attributed to nutrient (nitrogen).
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