The Department of Ecology at the University of Basrah’s College of Science organized a seminar to explore plant-associated bacteria, highlighting their various types and significance.

The seminar, presented by PhD student Sarah Samir Yacoub, addressed the need for a pioneering, sustainable, and eco-friendly solution to mitigate hydrocarbon pollution in Basrah’s soil. It proposed utilizing a promising and viable technique involving leguminous plants alongside rhizosphere and root-nodule bacteria.

The session covered the benefits these bacteria offer plants—such as atmospheric nitrogen fixation and nutrient solubilization—as well as their environmental importance, including the biodegradation of organic pollutants, heavy metal immobilization, and various other advantages.