2012 06 Creative Things Thursday Linky Features 27

Bamboo raft with an 8 to 10 cm diameter and 3 x 3 meters is frequently used as primary frame in cultivation methods. The new cultivation technique was actually the improved version of the older approaches along with some modifications applied to it.

Bamboo Support

Angular portions are fixed diagonally with the use of supporting bamboo to be able to keep everything intact. There are also clusters of rafts that are tied with anchor in order to secure them and to maintain its buoyancy. Bottom netting is used as well in an effort to prevent the drifting of materials and also, to minimize grazing. Seeding is performed on shore and the seeded rafts are then transplanted into open seas. In terms of harvesting on the other hand, this takes around 45 days.

As a matter of fact, this said method is highly recommended whenever the seawater is moving at a gentle pace. It’s been mostly adopted across Tamil Nadu coastal regions.

Bottom Culture

There is also a method called bottom-culture wherein a square net of 2 x 2 meter size made from polypropylene rope that has 3mm diameter is seeded with initial seedling weight of around 1.5kg fresh weight. Seeded nets are also tied at the 4 corners to the erected vertical bamboo poles in sea at a depth of 1.5 meters. Stone sinkers are used too as anchor which sits at 25 cm above bottom.