Glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide, is highly effective but persistent in soils and water. Despite its high solubility, residues remained in agricultural soils and contaminated groundwater and the food chain. This study aimed to decontaminate glyphosate using plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Glyphosate-degrading bacteria were isolated from rhizosphere soil and identified based on biochemical and molecular properties. To verify their PGPB ability, Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) production, nitrogen fixation, and phosphate solubilization were analyzed. In an aquatic medium at 30 °C, Enterobacter ludwigii RA and isolated strains Pseudomonas koreensis (E2) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (Rh3) demonstrated glyphosate removal of 99%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, after 24 h. All strains grew in the presence of 0.1 g/L glyphosate as a carbon source, reaching steady growth at 24 h. Optimal degradation occurred at 30 °C with 0.1 g/L glyphosate at pH levels of 7 ( P. koreensis ), 8 ( S. maltophilia ), and 9 ( E. ludwigii ). High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) confirmed complete degradation. These plant growth-promoting bacteria are potential candidates for removing toxic glyphosate residues from the environment.
Etemadifar et al. (2026) studied this question.