Abstract
Field farming of Gracilaria chilensis in Chile is mainly based on the regenerative capacity of thallus fragments. This study evaluates experimentally the effects on growth of the few organismic determinants that the farmer is capable of effectively handling in the field. No differences were found in the length increments of ramets with and without apices, a surprising result in view of the generally accepted idea that the most important growth meristem in this group of algae is located in the apex of the thallus. Total elongation and increase in weight of fragments with an initial length of up to 20 cm are a function of the initial length of the ramet, suggesting that intercalary growth makes a significant contribution to growth. Vegetative female axes grow faster, (in terms of length and weight) and produce more laterals than fertile female axes, and these faster than fertile tetrasporic branches. No differences in the growth of ramets originating from proximal or distal parts of axes were found.
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Paper presented at the XVth International Seaweed Symposium.
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Santelices, B., Varela, D. Regenerative capacity of Gracilaria fragments: effects of size, reproductive state and position along the axis. J Appl Phycol 7, 501–506 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003935
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003935