Microbiome insights restore biological balance at Thai prawn farm
Climate change poses a growing threat to the livelihoods of aquaculture farmers in South-East Asia. This was also experienced by a shrimp farm in the Thai province of Chanthaburi, where successive disease outbreaks caused heavy losses. Using the KytoApp and insights from data on the microbiome – the totality of microorganisms present in a given environment – the farm succeeded in restoring the biological balance in the water and preventing the further spread of disease.
Over two consecutive cultivation cycles, the farm in the Sripaya subdistrict was hit by diseases such as White Spot Syndrome and Early Mortality Syndrome. As several farms were using the same water source, the infections spread very rapidly. The shrimp barely survived the first month, resulting in heavy financial losses.
Data-driven water management as a turning point
The turning point came with the introduction of the KytoApp, a tool developed by KYTOS as part of a FICAP project to make shrimp farms in Thailand and Vietnam more resilient to disease and climate change. By mapping the microbiome of the pond water, the farm gained its first insight into the bacterial processes influencing water quality. Based on these insights, it was possible to intervene more quickly and precisely, even before harmful bacteria gained the upper hand.
A few weeks later, the biological balance in the ponds had been restored. The shrimp survived the critical period and continued to grow until the harvest stage. Today, a yield of around 30 shrimp per kilogram is expected – a clear improvement on previous losses.
“I was a bit sceptical at first,” says one of the shrimp farmers. “But as soon as we started using the microbiome data and adjusted our water management based on the recommendations, we saw results quickly. We were able to keep pathogens under control even before the shrimp weakened. This harvest performed significantly better than the previous one, and in hindsight, it was definitely the right decision to start using the system.”
Healthy aquaculture
Thanks to the microbiome analysis, the farm gradually gained more control over the health of the pond ecosystem:
- a better understanding of the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria;
- more targeted use of probiotics;
- faster detection of risks such as the accumulation of organic waste;
- better-tailored disinfection, without excessive use;
- clear recommendations for taking action more quickly.
In the long term, KYTOS and its project partners – KYTOS Viet Nam Co. & Ltd., Can Tho University, Biotec and KYTOS Thailand NewCo – aim to extend this approach to other shrimp farms in the Mekong region.