SAINS TANAH – Journal of Soil Science and Agroclimatology, 18(2), 2021, 188-193 STJSSA, p-ISSN 1412-3606 e-ISSN 2356-1424 http://dx.doi.org/10.20961/stjssa.v18i2.44476 SAINS TANAH – Journal of Soil Science and Agroclimatology Journal homepage: http://jurnal.uns.ac.id/tanah Molecular identification of isolates from local microorganisms as potential biofertilizer Abdul Hasyim Sodiq 1 , Mieke Rochimi Setiawati 2 , Dwi Andreas Santosa 3 , Dedi Widayat 2 1 Agroecotechnology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Serang, Banten, 42163, Indonesia 2 Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University, Jatinangor, Sumedang, 45360, Indonesia 3 Department of Soil Science and Land Resources, Facuty of Agriculture, IPB University, Dramaga, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Local microorganisms Auxin Molecular identification Bacillus cereus Lysinibacillus sp. Article history Submitted: 2020-09-21 Accepted: 2021-11-15 Available online: 2021-12-31 Published regularly: December 2021 * Corresponding Author Email address: abdul_hasyimsodiq@yahoo.co.id Local microorganisms (MOL) are liquid fertilizers commonly used by farmers to help increase crop production. Beneficial microbes in MOL need to characterize their interactions and ability to produce growth drive compounds. The purpose of this research is to identify the superior microbial isolates from MOL made by farmers from Cibodas Lembang Bandung, Indonesia that can produce phytohormones as biofertilizers. The results of the microbial selection of MOL derived from three best microbes are 1A-2 NFB, 4A-1 NFB, and 4B-1 NFB with the ability to produce auxin, i.e., 19.41 ppm, 17.18 ppm, and 10.59 ppm, respectively. The compatibility test between the three isolates showed negative results so that it was possible to apply three microbes as a consortium. The results of a molecular identification with a 16S rRNA analysis indicate strain microbe 1A-2 NFB: Bacillus cereus (99.88% homology), 4A-1 NFB: Bacillus cereus (99.76% homology), and 4B- 1 NFB: Lysinibacillus sp. (99.88% homology). How to Cite: Sodiq, A.H., Setiawati, M.R., Santosa, D.A., & Widayat, D. (2021). Molecular identification of isolates from local microorganisms as potential biofertilizer. Sains Tanah Journal of Soil Science and Agroclimatology, 18(2): 188-193. https://dx.doi.org/10.20961/stjssa.v18i2.44476 1. INTRODUCTION The use of biological fertilizer can be a solution to increasing the efficiency of using chemical fertilizer. Biofertilizer is an active biological product consisting of a single microbe or a consortium that can improve fertilization efficiency, soil fertility, and soil health. Biofertilizers are live microbes that are given into the soil as inoculants to facilitate or provide certain nutrients for plants. Soil microorganisms such as Rhizobium, Azospirillum, Bacillus sp., Bukholderia sp., Azotobacter, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, N2-fixed bacteria, Mycorrhiza, Tricodherma sp., and several types of other microbes used as biofertilizers that are already widely available in the market, such as Bion-Up biological liquid fertilizer that is produced by Pupuk Kujang Cikampek Company and Provibio production of the Indonesian Association of Seed Banks and Technology (AB2TI) Bogor. One of the current constraints is the lack of knowledge about the use of bioagents both the type of microbes and their interaction with plants (Hadi et al., 2019). Stated that to achieve the goal of improving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of farming, the principle of providing accurate nutrients according to plants need (balanced fertilization). The main requirement in the process of making biofertilizer is to find superior microorganisms, for example, can come from bamboo Apus roots (Gigantochola apus) that contain the bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens and could increase the solubility of P in the soil (Yulistiana et al., 2020), and Bacillus cereus 11UJ isolated from the rhizospheric zone of sugarcane is widely used for antifungal activity tests (Suryadi et al., 2015). Later, these microorganisms can pass through various tests, including the pathogens test, phytohormonal test, and compatibility test. These tests become the standard quality of biological fertilizers that can have a positive impact when used by farmers (Walida et al., 2019). The utilization of biofertilizers is based on a positive response to the effectiveness and efficiency of fertilization so that it can save the cost of fertilizer and labor; of course, it can be achieved if the ability of isolates contained in biological fertilizer (Moelyohadi et al., 2012).