ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOIL-MICROORGANISMS CAPABLE OF UTILIZING THE HERBICIDE DICLOFOP-METHYL AS A SOLE SOURCE OF CARBON AND ENERGY

Six nonfermentative Gram-negative bacilli were isolated from Manitoban soils after enrichment with diclofopmethyl. Microscopic examination a nd physiological and biochemical tests have identified the organisms a s Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Chryseomonas lut eola, Pseudomonas aureofaciens, Pseudomonas cepacia, and Pseudomonas f luorescens. Growth curve studies showed that each of the isolates was able to grow in minimal medium with diclofop-methyl as the sole source of carbon and energy. Chemical analysis confirmed that all of the add ed diclofop-methyl(1.5 mu g . mL(-1)) had been utilized after 31 h of incubation at 25 degrees C.