Main Article Content
Abstract
Use of pesticides is incrementing that ensures food security at various levels for the growing population, during production, harvesting and storage. Along with the use of pesticides, the retention of pesticide residues in the environment possesses potential health issues and negatively influences the indigenous micro-organisms in the soil. In the present study two types of soil samples i.e. soil without exposure of pesticide and soil exposed to pesticide (clothianidin) were selected for the isolation of bacteria. A total of 40 bacterial strains (10 isolates from non exposed soil and 30 isolates from exposed soil) were isolated which were subjected to pesticide (Clothianidin) tolerance test. Out of 40 isolates, 12 isolates (2 from non-exposed and 10 from exposed soil) showed tolerance to pesticide up to 100 mM concentration. Further, these 12 isolates were grown on Jensen’s media and Pikovskayas media to detect the nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilisation acitivity. Out of 12 isolates, 10 isolates were able to grow on Jensen’s media whereas only two isolates (C1 and P7) showed phosphate solubilisation on Pikovskayas media. The isolate P7 was found to be a most efficient isolate and based on biochemical characterization it was identified as Bacillus sp. The results of the present showed that Bacillus isolate (P7) is a potential candidate for the development of biofertilizer formulation.