Abstract

Microbial remediation research has become front and centre gaining momentum for numerous environmental biotechnological applications. Agronomical bioproducts have been widely used for many years and their availability, low costs and safety makes them potentially suitable for alternative biotechnological applications, specifically environmental remediation. In this study, the commercially available biofertilizer, Pseudomonas fluorescens (Rizofos), was examined for its rhizosphere competence, abiotic stress tolerance and heavy metal tolerance using relatively rapid and economically feasible standard culture-based laboratory methods to determine their potential use in the field of bioremediation. This plant growth promoting bacteria biofertilizer shows phase variation, metabolic versatility, and mobility, all of which are necessary for rhizosphere fitness and colonisation. In addition, both exceptional abiotic stress tolerance (pH, NaCl and temperature) and heavy metal (HM) tolerance was exhibited by this biofertilizer. To conclude, this study demonstrates that the prospect of using already available, well studied, safe and environmentally friendly agronomic bioproducts as alternative biotechnologies including bioremediation is realistic offering a more rapid solution to environmental problems extending beyond identifying, testing and formulating new liquid bioinoculants specifically for contaminated soils.  

Key words: Agricultural, bioproducts, Pseudomonas fluorescens, bioremediation.