Research Signpost 37/661 (2), Fort P.O., Trivandrum-695 023, Kerala, India Plant-Microbe Interactions, 2008: 69-93 ISBN: 978-81-308-0212-1 Editors: E. Ait Barka and C. Clément 4 Environmental uses of plant growth-promoting bacteria Yoav Bashan, M. Esther Puente, Luz E. de-Bashan and Juan-Pablo Hernandez Environmental Microbiology Group, Northwestern Center for Biological Research (CIBNOR), Mar Bermejo 195, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita La Paz, B.C.S. 23090, Mexico Abstract Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are commonly used to improve crop yields. In addition to their agricultural usefulness, there are potential benefits in environmental applications. For example, species of Azospirillum can increase bioremediation of wastewater by microalgae by increasing algal proliferation and metabolism. Additionally, these genera and several other bacterial species may prevent soil erosion in arid zones by improving growth of desert plants, which in turn leads to reduced dust pollution. Other PGPB promote plants that extract hazardous materials from soil. Correspondence/Reprint request: Dr. Yoav Bashan, Environmental Microbiology Group, Northwestern Center for Biological Research (CIBNOR), Mar Bermejo 195, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, B.C.S. 23090, Mexico. E-mail: bashan@cibnor.mx