Differences in biomass production and carrageenan yields among four strains of farmed carrageenophytes in Northern Bohol, Philippines

Abstract

Comparative studies on the biomass and carrageenan production of two strains of Eucheuma denticulatum and two strains of Kappaphycus alvarezii were made to assess the seasonality in their production capacities. The high and similar refined carrageenan (RC) yields (43–53% of dry wt.) of the four strains in the first cropping season (June–October) coincided with their high biomass production with plants averaging from 1.1 to 1.8 kg each at harvest. The poor RC yields (21–33%) recorded in the second cropping (October–February) coincided with their season of low biomass (av. wt: 0.34 to 1.0 kg). The four strains, however, recorded contrasting performance in the third cropping season (February–July) with the two E. denticulatum strains recording high RC yields (43 and 42.5%) together with high biomass (av. wt: 1.5 and 1.6 kg) in contrast to the low RC yields (30 and 39%) and low biomass (av. wt. 0.21 and 0.28 kg) of the two K. alvarezii strains. Records for semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) yields in the second and third cropping seasons were quite consistent and similar for the four strains (42–55%), except in the second cropping where the two K. alvarezii strains recorded low SRC. These differences in production potentials highlight the need for cropping management of the four strains to improve their cropping performance.