Ex-situ growth protocol for the invasive macrophyte Pontederia crassipes

Pontederia crassipes is known for its asexual reproduction and rapid growth. Outside its native range, it has been identified as an environmental threat, while it has also been widely used for ex-situ phytoremediation. To understand both its invasive potential and its phytoremediation capacity, it is necessary to examine the environmental factors that favor its growth beyond those already described in the literature, such as water temperature and nutrient availability. Previous studies also suggest that alkalinity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, water depth, pH and water transparency influence its performance. These variables help define the species niche and highlight the importance of distinguishing between its fundamental niche, the full set of abiotic conditions that support growth and its realized niche, which reflects biotic interactions and local constraints. However, the scientific literature does not yet provide sufficient description of the ex-situ experimental conditions required for the successful cultivation of this aquatic plant in controlled settings. This protocol therefore reports the results and lessons learned from a series of mesocosm experiments. By standardizing procedures and documenting growth outcomes, the protocol enhances reproducibility, facilitates comparisons across studies and supports both basic and applied research on P. crassipes.