Tissue-cultured seaweed boosts farm productivity in the Philippines

The farming of seaweeds is a widespread practice throughout the Philippines, with an estimated 200,000 households reliant on the industry across the country. Elkhorn moss (Kappaphycus alvarezii) is a popular species for cultivation, serving as a source of carrageenan for food products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. However, farmers of elkhorn moss in the Philippines often struggle with poor-quality seedlings, leading to slow growth, low yields, and susceptibility to ice-ice disease, which can devastate seaweed productivity. Seeking to address this, researchers at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD)are advocating for the industry to adopt tissue culture technology to produce seaweed seedlings that are disease-free and genetically robust. Led by Joseph Faisan Jr., the researchers recently proved that their lab-grown tissue-cultured seedlings can significantly outperform the cuttings that farmers derive from their previous crops. ...