A phosphate solubilizing bacterium, HB-22 having a strong antimicrobial activity was isolated from cropland soil. Based on DNA sequence of a conserved partial 16S rRNA gene, was identified as Pantoea spp. To isolate antifungal compounds from culture filtrates of HB-22, the culture broth was extracted with ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and partitioned with a NaHCO3 buffer solution. Gram-positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli were used as the indicator for antimicrobial activity. The EtOAc-soluble acidic fraction showed strong antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli compared to EtOAc-soluble neutral fraction. The EtOAc-soluble acidic fraction (2.82 g) was subjected to silica gel adsorption column and then eluted with EtOAc-MeOH. The fraction (0.84 g) of 100% EtOAc eluate had a strong antimicrobial activity compared to other fractons. Chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 produced activity with a ratio for Ve/Vt (elution volume/total volume) of 1.06-1.08 eluate (150.1 mg). Purification through ODS, using a MeOH-H2O as the mobile phase, gave an active fraction at 100% MeOH eluate (41.35 mg). The active fraction purified by HPLC on an ODS column yielded a white powder (tR 13.06 min, 12.6 mg) with antimicrobial activity. The purified compound was identified, as 2-aminobenzoic acid using GC-EI-MS, which strongly inhibited Pythium ultimum and P. capsici on PDA medium supplemented with 100 to 300 ƒÝg l-1. Scanning electron microscopic observation demonstrated that 2-aminobenzoic acid caused extensive hyphal deforming and destruction of R. solani.