Biodegradation of lambda cyhalothrin by Pseuodomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viridae

The extensive pollution of natural ecosystems has occurred by organophosphorus pesticides, which are being used for improvement of crop production in Agriculture. The present study has been designed to evaluate the efficiency of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viride to degrade the pesticide lambda cyhalothrin. Minimal medium with lambda cyhalothrin was inoculated with the broth culture of Pseudomonas fluorescens using micropipette and incubated for 12 days. Another set of minimal medium was inoculated with 0.6 cm culture disc of Trichoderma viride using a sterile gel puncture and inoculation loop and it was incubated for 12 days in the incubator. The biomass and cell growth were determined initially for three consecutive days for Pseudomonas fluorescens. The percentage of residual pesticide used was determined by HPLC. The residual level of pesticide decreased with the prolonged incubation of microorganisms along with the pesticide, and simultaneously the percentage of degradation also increased gradually that indicating the selected microorganisms were capable of degrading the pesticide, lambda cyhalothrin. The percentage of degradation was found to be high in the case of Pseudomonas fluorescens. Keywords: Lambda cyhalothrin, Biodegradation, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma viride, HPLC