Abstract
Water hyacinth,Eichhornia crassipes, growth and nutrient uptake rates, as influenced by different N sources and N transformations, were measured using microcosm aquaculture systems. Net productivity was highest in the system receiving equal amounts of NH4 + and NO3 - (at 10 mg N 1-1 each) and decreased in the order of NO3 -, NH4 +, urea (added at 20 mg N 1-1 each), and methane digestor effluent (at 6 mg N 1-1). During the first 7-wk study (average ambient air temperature was 26–28°C), biomass yields were in the range of 19–53 g dry wt m-2 day-1, while between the 8th and 12th wk (average ambient air temperature was 16–22°C), biomass yields were in the range of 10–33 g dry wt m-2 day-1. In the systems with either NH4 + or NO3 -, or both added in equal proportions, about 14–20% of the total yield was contributed by roots, whereas in the system with urea and digestor effluent, roots contributed about 23 and 44% of the total yield, respectively. Nitrogen and P uptake per unit area followed trends similar to biomass yields. Nitrogen uptake rates were in the range of 533–2, 161 mg N m-2 day-1 for the systems receiving NH4 +, NO3 -, and urea, while uptake rates were in the range of 124–602 mg N m-2 day-1 for the system receiving methane digestor effluent. Phosphorus uptake rates were found to be in the range of 59–542 mg P m-2 day-1. Under the most favorable conditions, maximum recorded biomass yield was 53 g dry wt m-2 day-1, with N and P removal rate of 2,161 mg N m-2 day-1 and 542 mg P m-2 day-1, indicating the potential of water hyacinth to produce large amounts of biomass which can be potentially used as a feedstock to produce methane.
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Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations Journal Series No. 4165.
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Reddy, K.R., Tucker, J.C. Productivity and nutrient uptake of water hyacinth,Eichhornia crassipes I. Effect of nitrogen source. Econ Bot 37, 237–247 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02858790
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02858790