Use of phorate as a broad spectrum pesticide in agricultural crops is finding disfavor due to persistence of
both the principal compound as well as its toxic residues in soil. Three phorate utilizing bacterial species
(Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 4.3, Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1, Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.2) were
isolated from field soils. Comparative phorate degradation analysis of these species in liquid cultures
identified Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1 to cause complete metabolization of phorate during seven days
as compared to the other two species in 13 days. In soils amended with phorate at different levels (100,
200, 300 mg kg1 soil), Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1 resulted in active metabolization of phorate by
between 94.66% and 95.62% establishing the same to be a potent bacterium for significantly relieving soil
from phorate residues. Metabolization of phorate to these phorate residues did not follow the first order
kinetics. This study proves that Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1 has huge potential for active bioremediation
of phorate both in liquid cultures and agricultural soils