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Growing Ulva (Chlorophyta) in integrated systems as a commercial crop for abalone feed in South Africa: a SWOT analysis

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Abstract

Over 1,000t fresh weight of Ulva was cultivated on South African abalone farms in 2007, primarily for feed, but in one case to allow partial re-circulation by nutrient removal. The potential of this new commercial crop is analysed. Material is collected from natural free-floating populations and at least four species are commonly grown, with different ecophysiological characteristics. A brown epiphyte, Myrionema strangulans, causes a disease of the Ulva, which is currently managed by farmers by re-stocking. The main potential threat is that some farmers are wary of integrated systems, fearing they may promote disease in abalone, although Ulva has been grown in abalone effluent and fed back to the abalone on one farm for 6 years without adverse effects. Opportunities exist for the expansion of Ulva cultivation via further spread of the abalone industry, the inclusion of seaweed raceways in proposed fish-farming activities, or the potential for the inclusion of high quality cultivated Ulva as a constituent in aquafeed. A conservative estimate of production over a full year from these raceway systems was 26.1 g dw m−2 day−1 (2006) and 19.7 g dw m−2 day−1 (2007), similar to maximum figures for total annual microalgal biomass production in outdoor systems.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank I&J Cape Abalone and their seaweed production team for excellent assistance and permission to publish production data, Wild Coast Abalone, as well as the National Research Foundation and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism for funding.

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  1. D. V. Robertson-Andersson

    Present address: Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    J. J. Bolton, D. V. Robertson-Andersson, D. Shuuluka & L. Kandjengo

  2. Department of Natural Resources, Agriculture Faculty, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia

    L. Kandjengo

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  1. J. J. Bolton
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Bolton, J.J., Robertson-Andersson, D.V., Shuuluka, D. et al. Growing Ulva (Chlorophyta) in integrated systems as a commercial crop for abalone feed in South Africa: a SWOT analysis. J Appl Phycol 21, 575–583 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9385-6

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