Growth Rate of Kappaphycus striatum var cottonii at Different Positions of the Cultivation Lines to the Direction of Water Current

Abstract

: The study was conducted to determine the effects of different positions in cultivation lines towards the direction of water current on growth rate of Kappaphycus striatum var. cottonii for a duration of 45 d at 4°30 ′ 9.36 ″ N and 119°22 ′ 6.8 ″ E of Bungin Pondohan, Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi. The experiment has three treatments; the parallel (T1), perpendicular (T2) and diagonal (T3) positions towards the direction of water current with five replicates in each treatment following the randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results showed that higher mean weight of 473 g and growth increment of 8.3 g/d were obtained from T3, although not significantly different from T1 and T2 with 431 g and 7.4 g/d, and 408 g and 6.8 g/d, respectively ( p > 0.05). However, results showed statistically similar growth rates of K. striatum var cottonii among all treatments. Thus, the positions of cultivation lines with respect to the direction of the current have no significant effect on the growth of the said seaweed species. Hence, the treatments used are viable in growing K. striatum var. cottonii in the selected study site.