Bioprospecting of actinomycetes isolated from Malaysia agriculture soil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/agrotech.v5i1.8.2026Keywords:
Actinomycetes, Soil microbial diversity, Plant growth-promoting actinomycetes, Bioactive compounds, Biocontrol agentsAbstract
Actinomycetes are well-recognized for their ability to produce diverse bioactive compounds with applications in sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to investigate the biodiversity of soil-derived actinomycetes and evaluate their potential for producing plant growth–promoting substances and antimicrobial metabolites. A total of 23 actinomycete isolates were obtained from soil samples, with a population density of 4.5 × 10⁶ CFU g⁻¹, and exhibited variation in spore coloration, indicating taxonomic diversity. Screening for phytohormone traits revealed that 60.9% of isolates produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), while 43.5% synthesized gibberellic acid (GA₃). Additionally, 47.8% and 26.1% of isolates demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Ralstonia solanacearum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, respectively. Statistical analysis using ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test confirmed significant differences among isolates (P < 0.05). Notably, isolate 5 exhibited the highest overall performance across multiple assays, suggesting strong multifunctional potential. The results highlight the presence of actinomycetes with combined plant growth–promoting and biocontrol properties, which are highly desirable for agricultural applications. Overall, this study underscores the importance of soil actinomycetes as promising candidates for the development of eco-friendly bioinoculants. Further studies involving molecular identification, characterization of bioactive compounds, and field validation are recommended to fully exploit their biotechnological potential.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jeffrey Lim Seng Heng, Norzaimawati Aman Nejis, Halizah Hamzah
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