Isolation and characterization of chlorpyrifos degrading soil bacteria of environmental and agronomic significance.

Chlorpyrifos is being used globally as an agriculture based pesticide. Microbial degrada tion of chlorpyrifos pesticide is of particular interest because of high mammalian toxicity. Six bacterial cultures were isolated from chlorpyrifos contaminated soil by using enrich- ment technique. All the isolates showed good growth in basal salt medium containing chlorpyrifos and suggested their ability to utilize chlorpyrifos as sole carbon and energy source. All the six bacterial cultures were examined for various plant growth promoting properties, out of six only one bacteirial culture Pseudomonas aeruginosa DKC2 was found to be positive for various plant growth promoting activities (phosphate solubiliza- tion, protease activity, IAA production and antagonistic properties against plant patho- genic fungi). The resting cell study confirmed that the bacterial strain DKC2 degrade chlorpyrifos by 71 % within 2 days. Isolated bacterial culture can be used successfully for the removal of chlorpyrifos from contaminated soil along with plant growth promotion, but further research is required before commercial utilization of this isolate in removing chlorpyrifos from contaminated soil.