Promiscuous nitrilase from Bacillus subtilis for herbicide degradation and plant growth promotion

decreased it. The enzymatic breakdown of dichlobenil into its corresponding carboxylic acids was determined by FTIR and GC-MS/MS. The 16 S rRNA gene was used to characterise the bacterial isolate, and sequence similarities verified that it was Bacillus subtilis. Subsequently, the sequence was deposited in GenBank with the accession number PX891009. B. subtilis possesses plant growth-promoting traits such as indoleacetic acid and gibberellic acid, ammonia production, phosphate solubilization, and produces hydrolytic enzymes that stimulate defence mechanisms. These results suggest that B. subtilis has the potential to degrade nitrile-containing herbicides to improve soil fertility. This work also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 2, 3, 6, 12, and 15, by supporting the biological degradation of herbicides to enhance soil quality.