Pond Cultivation

    Based on the research conducted by Fuji University, throwing green caviar seaweeds into a pond and allowing them to grow freely leads to higher gains than other methods by up to six times. This is the most popular method that farmers in Thailand and Vietnam use, as there is no shortage of supply with this method. However, studying the market reveals that quantity is not the answer, but rather consistency. This method involves the green caviar seaweeds being left on the soil at the bottom of the pond at roughly 80-160 cm, and they are left to grow on their own. The green caviar will receive nutrients from the soil and water, and they grow at a rapid rate, especially in optimal seasons. If water is filtered with new nutrients, the green caviar seaweeds will grow to be even stronger. This method is not without flaws: though the returns are much higher, it is difficult to supply water with enough nutrients to replace what the green caviar seaweeds use, contrary to growing it on land where we can artificially fill water with nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as potassium, such as using fertilizers, or by growing legumes which produce nitrogen. When the time arrives, it is possible to increase the mineral content of soil, and reuse it to grow other crops in the off-season. In ponds close to the sea, this is difficult to do. When we look at green caviar seaweeds cultivation in rounds, we notice that the first round of harvest is the most complete batch, with strong growth and high quality. However, in the second and third rounds and onwards, the quality of the green caviar seaweeds lowers significantly, with smaller beads and weak branches, and a lower amount of green caviar seaweeds per batch. Most importantly, using this method leaves farmers unable to predict when and how harvest will occur, which when looking at this from a business perspective, being unable to give a consistent supply of products to places such as restaurants and shops can cause a myriad of issues in the long run