Effect of Different Types of Vegetable on the Population Growth of Infusoria

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of vegetable type and processing method on the population growth of infusoria species. To compare the suitability of different substrates for raising infusoria, a two-factor experiment was designed using 10-L plastic jars, each containing 8L of river water and 100g of vegetables (lettuce or cabbage) that had undergone different processing methods (chopped, unchopped, ground), corresponding to 6 treatments. Infusoria were first observed on day 3 of the experiment. There was an interaction of vegetables and vegetable processing method that had a very clear effect on population growth: processed vegetables tended to support higher population densities than unprocessed vegetables. Population density reached a maximum of 1,816 ind./mL with ground lettuce, while culture with ground cabbage yielded a maximum of 1,165 ind./mL. Euplotes sp. accounted for around 80% of the population composition of infusoria for both vegetables.