Isolation and Identification of Imazethapyr-Degrading Actinomyces and Its Degradation Characteristics

Imazethapyr is used widely all over the world for the control of broadleaf weeds in the soybean field. However the serious problem of Imazethapyr has been remainded for long time. Bioremediation is an effective and economic method for the soil that has been polluted by pesticides. Used method of bottle cultivating, one strain of Imazethapyr degradable actinomyces S180 was isolated from the soil where Imazethapyr has been applied for a long-term. The strain could utilize Imazethapyr as sole nitrogen for growth. This strain was related and shared characteristics to genus Streptomyces zaomyceticus, according to the physiological and biochemical properties as well as 16S rRNA sequence analysis. It found that 85.41% Imazethapyr was degraded by S180 in 6 days with 3% Imazethapyr in mineral medium under the optimal containing 200 mg · L^-1 Imazethapyr, 30°C and pH 7. 0.