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Abstract
Seaweeds have been used in many applications including organic fertilizers. The aim of our research was to evaluate the method to extract Ulva reticulata and the effect of those extracts on the growth (germination rate, shoot length, root length) and productivity of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica). The results showed that the optimal conditions to get extracts were 121ºC/1atm for 20 minutes at pH3 and pH11. There was no difference between seaweed-extract-added treatments and tap-water control in germination rate and root length. On the other hand, the shoot length was highest when the plants were sprayed with 0.5 % of pH11-extracted liquid (34.80 ± 4.69 cm) that was significantly different from other treatments. The highest productivity was achieved in seaweed solutions extracted in pH7 and pH11 (average over 100 g/pot), which were much higher than other controls including tap water (52.3 ± 30.2 g/pot) and commercial liquid seaweed fertilizer controls (65.7 ± 9.7 g/pot).
Key words: Ulva reticulata, liquid fertilizer, seaweed fertilizer