​Understanding Duckweed: The Pros and Cons of Duckweed
You may have seen duckweed; small floating aquatic plants on the surface of your water. Is it more than just an aesthetic concern, and, could there actually benefits to this plant?
Pros:
Nutritional Value: duckweed contains a significant amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals, making it a valuable food source for fish.
Water Purification: duckweed can reduce nutrient levels and improve water quality by reducing excess nutrients in the water, such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
Waste Management: duckweed can help aid the degradation of organic waste, such as manure, to reduce odours and nutrient load.
Cons:
Aesthetic Concerns: duckweed may be perceived as unclean. Its messy matted appearance obstructs water reflections and the water below.
Exceptional Growth Rate: some duckweed is invasive and competes with native vegetation. This can disrupt natural aquatic ecosystems.
Reduced Sunlight Penetration: duckweed blocks light from organisms and plants dependent on photosynthesis. This can kill off beneficial purifying plants and algae, causing nutrient imbalances, muck accumulation, and encouraging anaerobic (unhealthy) bacteria populations to grow.
Once duckweed is established in a pond it can be difficult to treat. Careful pond management is important to maximize duckweed’s benefits and mitigate duckweed’s negative impacts. In this blog (click here) we discuss some of your options.
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