Isolation and Identification of Othello, Atlantis, and Puma Super Herbicide-resistant Bacteria Isolated from the Soil of Wheat Farms

One of the new methods in reducing the pollution caused by the use of herbicides and other agricultural chemical pesticides is the use of resistant and degrading bacterial isolates of these herbicides. This study was conducted to isolate and identify resistant bacterial strains from the soil of wheat fields using the three herbicides of Othello, Atlantis, and Puma Super.

To isolate and characterize resistant bacteria, samples were collected from wheat fields treated with Othello, Atlantis, and Puma Super herbicides. Isolates were selected based on the growth on the Standard Succinate Medium containing 10 percent of the mentioned herbicides. The representative isolates were identified based on biochemical tests and amplification of the 16S rRNA gene. Also, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the representatives were measured.

A total of 17 isolates could grow on a growth medium containing 10% of the tested herbicides. Based on the valid biochemical and molecular test results, the representative strains were identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Ensifer adhaerens, Xanthomonas sp., Pseudoxanthomonas sp., and Acinetobacter sp. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were attributed to Othello (0.28 and 0.4) and Atlantis herbicides (0.35 and 0.5) belonging to Acinetobacter and Xanthomonas (0.45 and 0.67) for Puma Super herbicides.

According to the results of this study, herbicide-resistant bacteria identified in this study can be useful in plant biotechnology applications in polluted areas and can reduce environmental pollution regarding using these herbicides. However, further studies are needed in order to identify the degrading potential of the resistant strains.