BioMar looks to ensure optimal environmental conditions for shrimp

The products, according to the Danish company, bring targeted solutions for shrimp hatcheries, and add to its hatchery feed range, LARVIVA.

Ecuador was selected as the launch market.

“Since we entered Ecuador in 2017, we have been building our market position, and with LARVIVA, we have achieved market leadership in the hatchery segment, helping customers reduce their hatchery cycle from 21 to 15 days. In addition, we have a strong local presence and a team of experts supporting our customers. It was clear to us that Ecuador was the ideal location to first introduce our new products before expanding to other markets,” said Henrik Aarestrup, VP LATAM, shrimp and hatchery, BioMar Group.

The company said the products will soon be made available in other Latin America markets, and in selected Asian countries.

BioMar is looking to ensure optimal environmental conditions for shrimp from hatchery to grow-out with the bioremediation range.

“Bioremediation is a technique adapted from nature, which relies on the introduction of beneficial microbes or their products such as enzymes to improve the quality of the culture environment, water, and pond sediment in the case of shrimp aquaculture. In comparison, a probiotic is a live microbial food supplement that beneficially affects the shrimp by improving its intestinal balance," said Laurence Massaut, technical director, LATAM, BioMar.

SmartCare Balance products help shrimp farmers and hatchery technicians to improve their rearing conditions by accelerating the degradation of organic wastes, reducing the accumulation of ammonia and other potentially toxic nitrogen compounds, and preventing the apparition of conditions that favor the growth of potential pathogens such as vibrios, she continued.

"It has also been shown that the introduction of these selected microorganisms can affect the diversity and composition of the shrimp intestinal microbiome, regulating metabolic processes and reenforcing the shrimp health. The correct use of SmartCare Balance provides a naturally balanced environment for shrimp to strive in,” Massaut told FeedNavigator.

Bacillus strains

The probiotic mixes that are included in the new range are produced by BioMar France.

SmartCare Balance P, the water conditioner and sediment treatment product, is designed to work in nurseries and grow-out ponds. It contains two specific strains of Bacillus, Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, said the producer.

SmartCare Balance H, the water conditioner for hatchery, high density nursery tanks and raceways, contains the same selected strains of Bacillus but, in addition, it also includes Pediococcus acidilactici.

Development process ​

Asked what data supports the objectives of SmartCare Balance in shrimp production environments, Massaut said the development of the two products started with a rigorous selection process to ensure that the bacteria strains could strive in all the environmental conditions under which shrimp are produced with the help of BioMar diets - in temperatures between 20 degrees and 35 degrees Celsius, salinities between 1 and 50 psu, and levels of dissolved oxygen as low as 1% saturation.

The development team also set about confirming that the selected Bacillus strains were able to synthesize enzymes such as protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase and xylanase, all important in helping decompose the organic matter that will accumulate in shrimp culture systems, she said. “In the case of the probiotic strain, Pediococcus acidillactici, we relied on our continuous documentation of its potential to colonize the shrimp digestive tract, stimulate its immune system, as well as reduce the presence of Vibrio, Aeromonas, and other potentially pathogenic bacteria.”

In addition, the team performed laboratory tests under controlled conditions, as well as commercial trials to document all the benefits. “In all cases, the use of SmartCare Balance improved the overall health of the rearing system, allowing better shrimp performance and reducing the risk of crop failure,” reported Massaut.