Isolation and characterisation of endophytes and aquatic microbes of bellandur lake for sustainable use in bioremediation and plant growth promotion

Abstract

The coexistence of diverse species on the planet Earth is very much dependent on the newlinethrust humankind gives to sustainable practices. With a huge increase in the rate of industrialization required to address the needs of expanding global population, there newlinewas crumbling of several ecosystems. In the past few decades, there has been a lot of newlineimportance given to the revamping of the ecosystem by adopting sustainable practices, newlineusing more biomaterials than chemically synthesized materials for meeting various newlineneeds. The present study was launched to investigate bacterial strains isolated from newlineaquatic plants (Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb and Eichhornia crassipes newline(Mart.) Solms) and water samples from Bellandur lake, one of India s most polluted newlinelakes, and to investigate their potential for biotechnological and environmental newlineapplications. The bacterial isolates thus identified and characterized showed good newlinepromise for applications in bioremediation, sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly newlineindustrial practices, contributing directly to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) newlinesuch as Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Zero Hunger (SDG 2) and Responsible newlineConsumption and Production (SDG 12). The primary isolates consisted of endophytic bacteria such as Acinetobacter soli and newlineBacillus licheniformis, which exhibited notable plant growth-promoting properties. newlineThese included the production of IAA and ammonia, nitrogen fixation, and the newlinesolubilization of phosphate and potassium, all crucial for enhancing soil health. These newlinebacteria also exhibited enzyme production capabilities, such as lipase, cellulase, and newlineACC deaminase, which aid plants in coping with environmental stresses. Greenhouse newlineexperiments with Amaranthus viridis revealed notable improvements in growth parameters with bacterial treatment, with A. soli showing particular effectiveness as a newlinepotential bioinoculant for enhanced crop yield and resilience. The study also highlights the bioremediation potential of bacteria isolated from Bellandur lake.