Abstract
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are efficient biological pest control agents. Population genetics studies on EPN are seldom
known. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the significance of molecular sampling method (MSM) for accuracy, time needed, and
cost effectiveness over traditional sampling method (TSM). The study was conducted at the Mohican Hills golf course at the state
of Ohio where the EPN
H. bacteriophora
has been monitored for 18 years. The nematode population occupies an area of
approximately 3700 m
2
with density range from 0.25-2 per gram soil. Genetic diversity of EPN was studied by molecular sampling
method (MSM) and traditional sampling method (TSM) using the mitochondrial gene pcox1. The MSM picked 88% in compared to
TSM with only 30% of sequenced cox 1 gene. All studied genetic polymorphism measures (sequence and haplotype) showed high
levels of genetic diversity of MSM over TSM. MSM minimizes the chance of mitochondrial genes amplification from non target
organisms (insect or other contaminating microorganisms). Moreover, it allows the sampling of more individuals with a reliable
and credible representative sample size. Thus, we show that MSM supersedes TSM in labour intensity, time consumption and
requirement of no special experience and efficiency.