Evaluación de dos probióticos acuícolas comerciales en cultivos de Penaeus vannamei en el cantón Pedernales Manabí.

Abstract

This research evaluated the effects of two commercial aquaculture probiotics, HGS-7 and Perfostim, in Penaeus vannamei farming in the Pedernales canton, Manabí province, during 2024. The specific objectives included determining the impact of these probiotics on shrimp production, disease tolerance, crop uniformity, and survival rates. The experimental design involved two ponds with differentiated treatments and one control pond, employing statistical analyses such as Mann-Whitney and ANOVA to evaluate the data. The results indicated no statistically significant differences in shrimp production between treatments (p=0.633), although the HGS-7 probiotic exhibited a higher production median. Regarding disease tolerance, specifically the incidence of "red heads," the analysis showed that the data followed a normal distribution, allowing the use of parametric tests; however, no significant differences were found between the probiotics or between ponds (p>0.05). Finally, although crop uniformity was evaluated, detailed results on this parameter were not presented in depth. It is concluded that, under the established experimental conditions, both probiotics demonstrated similar performance in the analyzed parameters, suggesting their feasibility as sustainable alternatives in shrimp farming. However, further studies with a larger sample size, stricter control of environmental variables, and detailed economic analysis are recommended to optimize probiotic implementation in the sector.