TITLE:
Influence of the Macronutrients N, P and K on the Agarophyte Alsidium triquetrum (S. G. Gmelin) Trevisan, during Experimental Culture
AUTHORS:
Ruben Cabrera, Arsenio J. Areces, Jhoana Díaz-Larrea, Laura Nuñez García, J. Ricardo Cruz-Aviña
KEYWORDS:
Alsidium triquetrum, Culture, Phosphorus, Macronutrients, Nitrogen, Potassium, Growth Rate
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.12 No.4,
April
21,
2021
ABSTRACT: The knowledge of the nutritional requirements and
their relation to the physiology of marine algae growth is key to incorporate
new species into aquaculture, whose dynamics tend to be largely unknown. The
use of Alsidium triquetrum in the pharmacological industry depends on
its availability in the natural environment,
occasionally scarce. As macroalgae cultivation gains momentum worldwide,
it is important to know how the effects of nutrients are modulated in the
thallus during cultivation. The linking of the relative growth rates (RGR) of A.
triquetrum and their relation with the macronutrients N (nitrogen), P
(phosphorus) and K (potassium) at the tissue level under culture conditions
constitutes the main contribution of this article. P levels tend to decrease as
the plant completes its development. Both the concentration of N and P are
higher in the stipe for the month of July, N (25.31 ± 0.26) vs P (0.846 ± 0.02)
period when the highest vegetative development is reached. The N and P modulate
the patterns of the species’ development over the annual cycle, unlike K, which is not considered a limiting factor. When
the temperature and lighting are not
favorable for growth, the plant simply accumulates these compounds. As
environmental conditions change, these stored compounds are actively used in their growth. The specimens with an initial
weight of 50 g present the best accumulated biomass (RGR) throughout the annual
cycle.