Metagenomic Identification of Bacillus thuringiensis within the Bacterial Microflora of Soils under Rice and Wheat Cultivation in Diré, Mali
Sitapha COULIBALY
LaboREM-Biotech, FST, USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali and African Center for Excellency in Bioinformatics (ACE-B), USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali.
Kangaye Amadou DIALLO *
LaboREM-Biotech, FST, USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali and African Center for Excellency in Bioinformatics (ACE-B), USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali.
Sognan DAO
LaboREM-Biotech, FST, USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali.
Aïssé BAH
LaboREM-Biotech, FST, USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali.
Adounigna KASSOGUE
LaboREM-Biotech, FST, USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali.
Abdou Ballo
Faculté d’Histire Géographie, Colline de Badala, Bamako, Mali.
Modibo Maïga
Institut des Sciences Appliquées, USTTB, Bamako, Mali.
Oumar Boncano TRAORE
SLAKAER, Diré, Tombouctou, Mali.
Mamadou WELE
African Center for Excellency in Bioinformatics (ACE-B), USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali.
Amadou Hamadoun BABANA
LaboREM-Biotech, FST, USTTB, Bamako, BP E3206, Mali.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to identify and characterize the presence of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) within the soil bacterial microflora under rice and wheat cultivation in Diré, northern Mali, where pest pressure is notably low.
Study Design: A cross-sectional metagenomic survey of agricultural soils.
Place and Duration of Study: Agricultural fields in Diré, Mali, sampled during the 2024 dry season.
Methodology: Thirty surface soil samples were collected from five plots. DNA was extracted and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. Taxonomic classification was performed using DADA2 and OneCodex.
Results: Firmicutes dominated the bacterial community (61%), followed by Proteobacteria (14%) and Actinobacteria (13%). Bacillus thuringiensis represented 0.48% of Bacillus reads, including insecticidal serovars kurstaki, morrisoni, and indiana.
Conclusion: The natural presence of Bt strains in Diré soils may contribute to reduced pest incidence. These findings support the potential of indigenous Bt strains as biocontrol agents adapted to Sahelian agroecosystems.
Keywords: Bacillus thuringiensis, metagenomics, rice, wheat, soil microbiome, biocontrol, Mali