Jakaba Undercover: Taxonomic Riddle and Potency in Indonesian Agriculture

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers leads to serious environmental and health issues, while organic biofertilizers offer a sustainable solution. <em>Jakaba</em> or “<em>jamur keberuntungan abadi</em>,” a local liquid organic fertilizer derived from fungi, is increasingly used by Indonesian farmers. However, its taxonomy and potential applications require further investigation. Moreover, the effects of <em>jakaba</em> on <em>Fusarium</em> and its impact on maize growth remain unexplored. This study aims to characterize <em>jakaba </em>comprehensively, evaluate its anti-<em>Fusarium</em> properties, conduct pathogenicity tests, and assess its effects on maize growth. Morphological analysis of fresh <em>jakaba</em> fruiting bodies was conducted, and molecular identification was performed based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1/4 regions. The antagonistic test was done using plant pathogenic fungi (<em>Fusarium </em>sp.). In addition, <em>jakaba </em>was evaluated for its impact on the vegetative growth of maize<em>. </em>Observations identified <em>jakaba</em> as belonging to the genus <em>Corallomycetella</em>, characterized by coral-shaped fruiting bodies with an orange hue and a white tip. The hyphae are septate, spore hyaline, and ellipsoid. The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis revealed that <em>jakaba</em> was <em>Corallomycetella repens</em>, with a query cover of 99% and a phylogenetic tree 96% bootstrap (BS) value. <em>Jakaba</em> exhibits antibiosis activity against <em>Fusarium</em> sp., with an inhibition rate of 5.64%. Although <em>C. repens</em> has been previously identified as a cause of root rot in Indonesia, the current study reveals that <em>jakaba</em> is not pathogenic to maize. Furthermore, the application of <em>jakaba</em>’s liquid organic fertilizer at a concentration of 40 ml l<sup>-1</sup> significantly increased plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and stem diameter compared to other treatments. These findings highlight <em>jakaba</em> potential as a biofertilizer.