Identification of Microbes from Effective Microbes (EM) Formulations and Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) Using Morphological Analysis

Effective Microbes (EM) formulations and spent mushroom substrate (SMS) are valuable in sustainable agriculture due to their beneficial microbial content. This study aims to culture, isolate, and identify microbial populations in EM and SMS using morphological analysis techniques. The samples included in this study are: Sample 1 (control): distilled water, Sample 2: spent mushroom substrate (SMS), Sample 3: EM with SMS, and Sample 4: EM. pH extraction was performed for each sample to assess conditions, yielding the following values: Sample 1 – 7.20, Sample 2 – 6.50, Sample 3 – 3.67, and Sample 4 – 6.72, indicating varying acidity levels. Microorganisms were cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) media, promoting growth, with tests conducted three times for each sample as the replication. Pure colonies were isolated via the four-quadrant streaking method. All samples exhibited successful growth on PDA media, with distinctive colony formations. EM primarily produced creamy, round bacterial colonies, while SMS and SMS + EM samples displayed fungal structures. Microscopic examination identified cocci-shaped bacteria in EM samples and yeast cells in SMS and SMS + EM samples. While this study focused on morphological identification, it does not provide precise species-level resolution and may overlook non-culturable organisms. Nonetheless, it presents a practical, low-cost approach for characterizing microbial communities in EM and SMS, offering foundational data for future research and applications in organic farming and soil enrichment.