Effects of Organic Fertilizers on the Growth Performance, “Ice- Ice” Disease Occurrence and Carrageenan Quality of Farmed Seaweed Kappaphycus Striatus (F. Schmitz) Doty Ex. P.C. Silva

A study was conducted to determine the effects of organic fertilizers (Acadian Marine Plant Extract Powder [AMPEP] and Padina liquid extract) at different levels of concentrations on the growth performance, “ice-ice”disease occurrence and carrageenan quality of farmed seaweed Kappaphycus striatusin seaweed farm of Barangay Taungoh, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi for a duration of 45 days. The study had five (5) treatments with three (3) replicates: T1 = control, T2 = 0.01 g L-1 AMPEP, T3 = 8.82 g L-1 AMPEP, T4 = 0.1 ml L-1Padina liquid extract, and T5 = 8.82 ml L-1Padina liquid extract. Results revealed that T3 was significantly higher (p<0.05) in terms of specific growth rate (3.12% day-1) and carrageenan yield (26.47±1.89%) and significantly lower (p<0.05) in the occurrence of “ice-ice” disease (18.96±2.29%) after 45 days of culture. The Padina liquid extract was also significantly higher(p<0.05) than the control in terms of specific growth rate (2.27% day-1) after 45 days of culture and has no significant difference (p>0.05) with the control in terms of “ice-ice” disease occurrence. The AMPEP and Padina liquid extract could be an efficient organic fertilizer used in seaweed farming.