Application of chemical fertilizer is an integral practice to optimize crop productivity, but the dominant use of chemical fertilizers contributes largely to the deterioration of the environment, leads to loss of soil fertility, increases pollution, and causes hazardous diseases. Hence, the chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other supplements are being replaced by the plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) due to their improved potency and environment friendly nature. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can enhance plant growth by a wide variety of mechanisms like Phosphate (P) solubilization, Potassium solubilisation, siderophore production, biological nitrogen fixation and Indole acetic acid (IAA) production. The Klebsiella species is also known to exhibit important PGP traits like solubilization of phosphate, phytohormone production and good germination potential. In present study the Klebsiella pneumoniae PNE1 was selected from the isolates obtained from vegetable waste collected from Kadi market. The isolate was selected on the basis of its ability for Nitogen fixation, Phosphate solubilization, Potassium solubilization, IAA production, EPS production and biopolymer degradation. The molecular identification through 16S rRNA gene sequence, confirmed the isolate as Klebsiella pneumonia PNE1. Quantitative analysis of ammonia production revealed that isolate Klebsiella pneumonia PNE1 produced 0.5 µg/ml of ammonia (NH3) on 6th day of incubation and produced 0.09 µg/ml Nitrite after 8th day of incubation. The Phosphate solubilisation Index (SI) of the isolate was 4.16 and the isolate released 177.50 μg/ml Phosphate. The qualitative estimation of Potassium solubilisation by the isolate Klebsiella pneumoniae PNE1 in terms of Potassium solubilisation zone was found to increase gradually from day 1 to 7 days and was maximum at 2nd day with a KSI of 3.6. The isolate Klebsiella pneumoniae PNE1 released 29.94 mg/l Potassium on 21th day of incubation respectively. The IAA production was found to be 94.96 µg/ml. The maximum the EPS yield was 11.3 mg/ml. The Klebsiella pneumonia PNE1 had capacity to degrade Cellulose, Pectin and Xylan i.e. all biopolymers tested. The antibiotic susceptibility test indicated that isolate was sensitive to all 22 antibiotics tested. The Klebsiella pneumonia PNE1 thus, shows important plant growth promoting traits and can be used in a bio-fertilizer formulation for sustainable agriculture.

Vegetable and fruit waste are produced in huge quantities in the market. These wastes are also nutritionally very rich and, can be a viable option to be used as a substrate for the generation of value-added products. However, there is a need to characterize these wastes before using them as raw materials for the production of any value-added product. In this regard, the present study was taken up to determine the proximate analysis of vegetable and fruit waste. Proximate analysis is a way to determine the distribution of moisture, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon when the samples are heated under specified conditions. The discarded vegetable and fruit waste was collected from Kadi municipal vegetable market. The proximate analysis was carried out for 23 waste samples viz, 20 samples were a wet waste of individual fruits and vegetables and 3 samples were of consolidated sundried vegetable and fruit waste. Presented Proximate analysis of vegetable and fruit waste includes the determination of moisture, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon via standard test methods. The result revealed that for wet waste moisture content was in the range from 6.56 % to 77.57 %. Percentage of volatile matter was in the range from 8.06% to 86.46 %. Percentage Ash content was in the range from 1.32 % to 20.18 %.Percentage Fixed carbon was in the range from 1.76 % to 28.63 %. The moisture content in sundried consolidated waste was in the range from 5.83 % to 8.86 %. The percentage of the volatile matter was in the range from 62.06 % to 72.33 %. Percentage Ash content was in the range from 11.16 % to 12.83 %. Percentage Fixed carbon was in the range from 8.79 % to 16.27 %.

Chemical fertilizer use in agricultural areas causes a variety of issues, including pollution, health risks, disruption of natural ecological nutrient cycles, and the loss of biological communities. In this case, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and other supplements are replaced by plant growth promoting bacteria for sustainable agriculture. The present research work focus on the isolation of the plant growth promoting bacteria from the Kadi vegetable market waste. Derived from morphological, biochemical, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis the strain was identified as Enterobacter cloacae PNE2. The antibiotic susceptibility test indicated that the isolate was sensitive to all 22 antibiotics tested. The isolate Enterobacter cloacae PNE2 has multiple growth-promoting activities like N2 fixation, phosphate, solubilization, potassium solubilization, phytohormone (Indole-3-acetic acid) production, EPS production, biopolymer degradation, and also possesses good seed germination ability. Quantitative analysis of nitrite production revealed the isolate Enterobacter cloacae PNE2 produced 0.15±0.01 µg/ml nitrite. The Phosphate Solubilization Index (PSI) of the isolate was recorded 3.58±0.08 and the isolate released 278.34±0.56 μg/ml phosphate in Pikovskaya’s broth. The isolate Enterobacter cloacae PNE2 solubilized 32.66 mg/l potassium. The isolate Enterobacter cloacae PNE2 possesses IAA (48.49±0.05µg/ml) in presence of tryptophan and EPS (19.1±0.2 g/l) production ability. The isolate Enterobacter cloacae PNE2 was also found to degrade Cellulose, Pectin, and Xylan. Furthermore, the isolate Enterobacter cloacae PNE2 enhances seedling growth of Trigonella foenum graceum (fenugreek). Thus, the isolate Enterobacter cloacae PNE2 has significant plant growth promoting characteristics and can be applied in a bio-fertilizer formulation for sustainable agriculture.