Fluazinam Potential as a Fungicide in Liquid Culture System for the Growth of Haematococcus pluvialis Microalgae

Abstract

All across biological system, fungal infection in freshwater systems is well known to obstruct the aquatic biomass population such as microalgae. However, there is a lack of extensive information on the suitable technique to control them. This research aims to assess the effects of the fungicide fluazinam as a single dose treatment on the Haematococcus pluvialis growth rate and the presence of chytrids fungus in a liquid culture system. The variables used in this experiment were the concentration of fluazinam given to the culture (i.e. 0.25; 0.5; 0.75; 1; 1.25 ppm) as a single dose treatment. The growth performance of H. pluvialis was observed in 6 days consecutively based on the cell density by a single direct absorbance measurement and the cell counting by haemocytometer. The best growth was achieved in a culture system which was given fluazinam at a concentration of 0.5 ppm (started from 1.0 x 105 cells/mL to 5.5 x 105 cells mL-1 on the 5th day) and no chytrids fungus are found in the culture system either. So, in conclusion, the use of fluazinam is a promising treatment for removing contaminants that inhibit H. pluvialis growth.