Biofertilizer microorganisms accompanying pathogenic attributes: a potential threat.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Microbiology
• Environmental Science
• Plant Pathology

Background:

• Biofertilizers are eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fertilizers, promoting crop production and soil health.
• Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) enhance nutrient availability and plant growth.
• Current practices often overlook pathogenicity and biosafety testing of PGPB.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review declared PGPB that have been reported as pathogenic in other studies.
• To highlight the risks associated with deploying unvetted PGPB in agricultural settings.
• To advocate for enhanced safety assessment protocols for PGPB.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of PGPB studies.
• Cross-referencing PGPB with pathogenic bacterial reports.
• Analysis of potential risks of horizontal gene transfer from PGPB.

Main Results:

• Identified instances where PGPB have been reported as pathogenic.
• Highlighted the potential for PGPB to spread virulence and multidrug resistance genes.
• Demonstrated the risks of adverse human health and environmental effects from unassessed PGPB.

Conclusions:

• The declaration of bacteria as PGPB requires more stringent safety evaluations.
• Additional biosafety and pathogenicity testing protocols are essential before PGPB commercialization.
• Implementing robust safety assessments will ensure the sustainable and safe application of biofertilizers.