Plant Growth-Promoting and Tequila Vinasse-Resistant Bacterial Strains

Abstract

Tequila vinasse, a byproduct of the tequila industry, is frequently discharged into water bodies or agricultural fields, posing significant ecological and human health risks. Bacterial communities that inhabit these agricultural fields have developed mechanisms to utilize tequila vinasse as a potential nutrient source and to promote plant growth. In this study, strains from the phyla Actinomycetota and Pseudomonadota were isolated from agricultural fields irrigated with tequila vinasse for 2, 10, and 14 years in Jalisco, Mexico. The results showed that strains of Terrabacter, Azotobacter, Agromyces, Prescottella, and Leifsonia tolerate high concentrations of tequila vinasse and promote maize seedling growth in the presence of tequila vinasse. Additionally, some of the strains solubilize potassium and produce siderophores, cellulase, protease, lipase, and esterase. The strains Terrabacter sp. WCNS1C, Azotobacter sp. WCNS1D, and Azotobacter sp. WCNS2A have potential applications in the bioremediation of tequila vinasse in agricultural fields discharged with tequila vinasse.