FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN, cilt.20, ss.2156-2162, 2011 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, the effect of an agricultural organic fertilizer on growth, pigment, proximate and agar content of Gracilaria verrucosa (Hudson) Papenfuss was studied. The highest daily growth rate was determined in the agricultural organic fertilizer group as 4.0 % day(-1). Therefore, the growth of G. verrucosa with agricultural organic fertilizer and Conway's medium showed no significant differences (p>0.05). The maximum total chlorophyll content in the agricultural organic fertilizer was higher (20.7 +/- 1.5 mu g g(-1) than in Conway's medium (7.0 +/- 0.2 mu g g(-1)). The maximum protein (42.6 % dw) and lipid contents (7.6 +/- 0.1 % dw) were achieved in the agricultural organic fertilizer group. The significant differences were determined between the groups (p<0.05). The highest carbohydrate (58.1 +/- 0.4 % dw), ash (12.5 +/- 1.0 % dw) and agar (21.9 +/- 0.3 % dw) contents were found in Conway's medium. There was a statistically significant difference between the experimental groups (p<0.05). Consequently, it was seen that the agricultural organic fertilizer is suitable for G. verrucosa culture to produce human and animal food in order to decrease the production cost, but it is unsuitable for agar production.