Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis C34, a Phyllosphere Isolate with Dual Biocontrol and Plant Growth-Promoting Potential

Bacillus thuringiensis strain C34, isolated from the oil palm phyllosphere, forms parasporal crystals and exhibits diverse plant growth-promoting traits, including phosphate and potassium solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid production, nitrogen fixation, ammonia release, and siderophore secretion. Whole-genome sequencing produced a 5.36-Mb draft genome in 45 contigs with 99.2% completeness. Genomic analysis identified a Cry gene homologous to Spp1Aa1, with predicted insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura, and biosynthetic clusters for bacillibactin, fengycin, bacilysin, and petrobactin. These features highlight the dual role of strain C34 in insect control and plant growth promotion, supporting its potential as a multifunctional bioinoculant. Copyright © 2026, The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.