The Potential of Marine-Fungi (Trichoderma reesei) in Suppressing Vibrio sp. Populations in Industrial-Scale Shrimp Farming

Shrimp farming is a crucial sector for Indonesia's economy and food security, with exports reaching USD 2.23 billion in 2021. However, intensification of shrimp farming can increase the risk of diseases such as Vibrio sp. and acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), as well as the negative impacts of antibiotic use. As an alternative, Trichoderma reesei shows potential as a probiotic, improving shrimp health and water quality. The aim of this study was to analyze the ability of T. reesei to reduce Vibrio sp. populations in shrimp farming ponds and its effectiveness in improving shrimp growth performance. The research was conducted at the industrial vannamei shrimp farm, PT. Bagja Barokah Sarerea, Cipatujah, Tasikmalaya. A completely randomized design was used with two experiments: the application of T. reesei (P) and without T. reesei (K), in six test ponds. Water quality (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen “DO”) was measured twice daily, while nitrite, ammonia, total organic matter, alkalinity, hardness, total Vibrio count, total T. reesei count, total bacterial count and shrimp performance were measured weekly. The results showed that the addition of T. reesei in the treatment ponds effectively controlled the growth of Vibrio sp., and a reduction in Vibrio sp. populations by 19.23%. While environmental parameters showed no significant differences between treatments (P-value > 0.05), there was potential for reduced ammonia levels in the treatment ponds (0.001–0.078mg/ L) compared to the control ponds (0.002–0.78mg/ L). Additionally, T. reesei probiotics improved the survival rate and productivity of vannamei shrimp in the treatment ponds, despite mass mortality caused by salinity differences during seed stocking. The results indicate that the potential of T. reesei as a probiotic has successfully improved aquaculture practices.