The aim of this study is to isolate cellulose-degrading Actinomycetes. Twenty one isolates of cellulolytic Actinomycetes were isolated from different soil and woody habitats such as, leaves, straws and rotted wood collected in Hanoi and were divided into six color groups of colony: purple-violet, pink, white, green, grey and yellow. Cellulase production was indicated by the appearance of a pale halo on agar medium containing CMC as substrate around the agar piece with colony on using lugol as an indicator. Cellulase activities of isolates were determined qualitatively by measuring the diameters of halo zones. G1, D4 and G3, exhibited the maximum zones of halo around the agar piece with diameter of 40mm, 40mm and 39mm respectively. Especially, the abilities of degrading natural cellulose (straw, sugarcane bagasse) of the strains D4 and G3 open up potential application in agriculture.
