Photosynthetic Efficiency and Survival of Tissue-Cultured Eucheuma denticulatum Microplantlets under Varying Transport Conditions
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Abstract
The cultivation of eucheumatoids (Eucheuma and Kappaphycus) is increasingly threatened by pests, diseases, climate change, and biosecurity concerns, leading to declining yields. Tissue culture offers a more resilient propagation approach; however, the success of outplanting depends on minimizing stress and mortality during the transfer of cultivars. This study evaluated the effects of different transport treatments on the photosystem II (PSII) photochemical efficiency and survival of tissue-cultured Eucheuma denticulatum microplantlets. An 8-h transport simulation followed by a 7-day laboratory culture was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of various packaging and storage conditions. After 8 h, the maximum quantum yields (Fv/Fm) of transport treatments 1 (0.53±0.08) and 2 (0.51±0.11), in which explants were placed in plastic bags containing 250 mL of seawater stored in a styrofoam box without and with ice, respectively, did not significantly differ from their initial values (0.58±0.11 and 0.54±0.08, respectively). All explants in these treatments remained viable after 7 days. In contrast, treatments 3 (0.33±0.11) and 4 (0.44±0.09), where explants were wrapped in moistened muslin cloths and stored in a styrofoam box without and with ice, respectively, showed significantly lower Fv/Fm values compared with their initial states (0.64±0.09 and 0.63±0.11, respectively), with treatment 3 resulting in complete die-off (0.01±0.06) after 7 days. These findings suggest that transporting microplantlets in seawater-filled plastic bags, especially with ice insulation, is the most effective method for maintaining photochemical efficiency and viability during transport.
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