Protocols for successful commercial farming of Kappaphycus alvarezii, a potential carrageenophyte in Indian waters

摘要

Seaweed commercial farming has a long history. At present approximately 221 species of seaweeds are used worldwide for food and phytochemicals (agar, algin and carrageenan), of which about 10 species or genera are being intensively cultivated viz., brown algae Laminaria japonica and Undariapinnatifida; red algae Porphyra, Eucheuma, Kappaphycus and Gracilaria; green algae Monostroma and Enteromorpha and the other two being micro algae. Recently released FAO statistics showed that the world seaweed aquaculture production in 2012 was 23.78 million tons wet. Around 30 countries have introduced carrageenan yielding seaweeds viz., Eucheuma, Kappaphycus, Chondrus, Sarcothalia and Griffithsia to evaluate their potential biomass production under cultivation.However, warm water seaweeds such as Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum have been cultivated substantially and commercially. Kappaphycusalone has been introduced in 26 countries and its production in the world through cultivation alone hasbeen reported to be 1,83,000 tons dry in 2010. Its production in Indian waters has been very meagre ie., 1490 tons wet. In India Kappaphycus alvarezii cultivation is of recent origin ie., it has been introduced by Dr. P. V. Subba Rao, CSMCRI - MARS (CSIR) during his tenure as Scientist-in-Charge in the last quarter of 1995 at Thonithurai (Mandapam), near Pamban bridge, in Gulf of Mannar waters of Bay of Bengal on the Southeast coast of India. Its cultivation has got a boost with the sanction of a project by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), New Delhi (2006 to 2009) to Aquaculture Foundation of India (AFI), Chennai which has introduced a five member self help groups (SHGs) to rehabilitate the Tsunami affected fisherfolk in Tamil Nadu and this project has been accomplished along with PepsiCo India Holdings Private Llimited, Gurgoan, Haryana. Subsequently some companies such as Aquagri Processing Private Limited, New Delhi, Linn Plantae Private Limited, Madurai and SNAP Natural and Alginate ProductsPrivate Limited, Ranipet are involved in cultivation as a tie up with SHG's on a buyback agreement. Its cultivation has been expanded commercially in the coastal waters of Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, Tanjore and Tuticorin Districts in Tamil Nadu. However, its cultivation has been taken up very recently at a few places along Gujarat coast and at two places along Andhra Pradesh coast. In several places, commercial cultivation has failed due to unforeseen and unacquainted problems. Companies are standardizing the products derived from fresh seaweed as biostimulent and from dry seaweed as semi refined carrageenan (SRC). Lack of awareness and proper knowledge among the farmers and lack of support from Government has become the impediments for developing commercial farming in new localities. The protocols for site selection, standardization of cultivation methods and crop logging for successful commercial farming of Kappaphycus a/varez/'/at new locations are reviewed and discussed in this paper.