Isolation and identification of microorganisms in "natural farming" process

Abstract

Indigenous Microorganisms Fertilizer is organic fertilizer containing microorganisms which contribute to the soil structure and humification. The IMO has great potential in supporting Natural Farming in Malaysia. This study was carried out to isolate and identify the types of microorganisms present in Malaysian IMO for natural farming processes. Isolation of the microorganisms were carried out at every step IMO fertilizer preparation and the identification of isolates were determined based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics. Results on the microbe(s) isolated from each step of IMO preparation are Aspergillus nfger from IMO 1; Saccharomyces sp. from IM02; Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas putida, Klebsiella pneumonia and Serratia marcescens from IM03; Weeksella virosa and Enterobacter aerogenes from IM04 and Enterobacter sakazaki and Lactobacillus casei from IM05. The microorganisms identified can be grouped into four types: Photosynthetic bacteria, Lactic acid bacteria, yeast and fungus. From this study, it can be suggested that not the overall number of microorganisms in IMO that matters for Natural Farming processes but the interactive relationship between microorganisms is the most important aspect.