Nutritional content and growth ability of aquatic plant Azolla pinnata on wastewater of catfish

Abstract

Azolla pinnata is a floating aquatic plant with several benefits as a source of feed in aquaculture and animal as well as a phytoremediator. Research with two replications was carried out at RC for Limnology and Water Resources laboratory on May 2022 to explore information on its nutritional content, growth ability and function as a phytoremediator. The growth ability research was carried out in-door using media of catfish cultivation wastewater varied in concentration (100%, 60%, and 30%), and the observation period of 3 days for 15 days. Azolla pinnata contains nutrition (% dry weight): ash: 31.20; fat: 12.37; protein: 27.16; fibre: 11.15; and Nitrogen Free Extract: 18.12, respectively. There were 15 types of amino acids, as much as 1.59 % w/w. On the 15th day, the highest growth was seen in the media with 100% concentration, where the culture density was 310.47 g/m2, specific growth rate (SGR) was 15.38%, and productivity was 35.93 g/m2/day. At the same media, Total Phosphate (TP) elimination rates were 46.06%, and Total Nitrogen (TN) was 79.474%. Azolla pinnata can be cultivated in catfish wastewater to provide nutritious feed as well as to reduce the content of TP and TN.