BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 21, Number 5, May 2020 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 1809-1815 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d210506 Short Communication: Isolation and characterization of the endophytic bacteria, and their potential as maize diseases control ENDANG MUGIASTUTI  , SUPRAYOGI, NUR PRIHATININGSIH, LOEKAS SOESANTO Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman. Jl. Dr. Suparno, Karangwangkal, Purwokerto Utara, Banyumas 53123, Central Java, Indonesia. Tel./fax.: +62-281-638791,  email: endangmugiastuti@gmail.com. Manuscript received: 13 November 2019. Revision accepted: 6 April 2020. Abstract. Mugiastuti E, Suprayogi, Prihatiningsih N, Soesanto L. 2020. Short Communication: Isolation And Characterization Of The Endophytic Bacteria, And Their Potential As Maize Diseases Control. Biodiversitas 21: 1809-1815. Sheath blight and bacterial wilt are diseases that can reduce maize production. Biological control with the endophytic bacteria offers environmentally friendly control for these pathogens. The study aimed to isolate and characterize the endophytic bacteria morphologically and biochemically and to study their potential to control maize diseases, especially sheat blight and bacterial wilt causing pathogens. The study was conducted at the Plant Protection Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Jenderal Soedirman University, from April to August 2019. The study consisted of four stages: isolation and characterization of endophytic bacteria, the antagonism test of the endophytic bacterial to R solani, the antagonism test of the endophytic bacteria to Pantoea sp., and the mechanical test of the endophytic bacteria as biological control agents and plant growth-promoting bacteria. Based on the research, four endophytic bacteria isolates have been successfully isolated, and characterized successfully and found have the potential to be developed as biopesticides to control maize disease, especially R. solani and Pantoea sp. Bacillus sp, endophytic from the root (BK.A1; BK.A3; PP.A5) and Bacillus sp. endophytic from the stem (PPD.B2) can suppress the growth of R.solani by more than 50%, have a strong antagonistic index against Pantoea sp (> 4), and can produce protease and lipase enzyme, and phosphate solubilization. Keywords: Bacillus, fluorescent Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Rhizoctonia solani INTRODUCTION Maize is a strategic food commodity in the world. In Indonesia, the government seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in maize through increasing production of sustainable maize. However, these efforts have faced several obstacles; one of them is the presence of plant diseases such as sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, and bacterial wilt caused by Pantoea stewartii. R. solani can infect up to the midrib of the cob (Djaenuddin et al. 2017), resulting in up to 100% decrease in the yield (Muis 2007). Pantoea sp. can attack all stages of the plant causing wilting and leaf blight, and is known as Stewart's wilt (Pataky 2004; Ammar et al. 2014). The pathogens can cause 40-100% yield loss. Over the past 3 decades, the concept of sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture has been carried out by minimizing the use of chemicals, both synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides. In the management of pests and plant diseases, biological control is developed by applying biological agents including endophytic bacteria (Shanti and Vittal 2013). Many endophytic bacteria can pass the endodermic barrier across from the root cortex to the vascular system, and subsequently develop as endophytes in stems, leaves, tubers, and other organs (Compant et al. 2005). The use of endophytic bacteria as biological agents has an advantage compared to rhizosphere bacteria because endophytic bacteria live and survive in the plant tissue during plant development, thus protecting the plants. Bacillus sp. and fluorescent Pseudomonas are reported to be able to live as endophytes and are widely used as biological control agents for soil-borne and air-borne diseases. The endophytic bacteria could control plant diseases through several mechanisms including competition, hyperparasitism, producing microbial inhibiting compounds (antibiotics, lysis enzymes, other physical or chemical disorders), enhancing plant resistance, and promoting plant growth (Compant et al 2005, Pal and McSpadden-Gardener 2006; Rosenblueth and Martinez- Romero 2006). Based on the mechanisms, the use of endophytic bacteria isolated from maize, both upland and lowland, suggested potentially alternative control for sheath blight (R. solani) and bacterial wilt (Pantoea sp). The research aimed to isolate and characterize morphologically and biochemically the endophytic bacteria as well as their potential to control pathogens that cause disease in maize especially R. solani and Pantoea sp. MATERIALS AND METHODS This research was conducted at the Laboratory of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Jenderal Soedirman