Molecular Identification of Entomopathogenic Nematodes in Several Crop Rhizospheres from Bogor

Entomopathogenic nematodes are widely used as biological control agents for insect pests. Field application of EPNs is favored due to their safety to the environment and their broad host range. This research aims to identify entomopathogenic nematodes in several crop rhizospheres from Bogor using a molecular approach. The nematode exploration was conducted in crop rhizospheres such as taro, maize, yam bean, long bean, and eggplant. Soil samples from each location were collected and then used as the baiting source for nematodes using Tenebrio molitor as a host. Molecular identification was carried out using the D2/D3 primer to amplify the 28S rRNA gene. The PCR products were sequenced, and the DNA sequences were analyzed using the BioEdit and BLAST programs. Homology and phylogeny analyses were carried out using the MEGA 11 program to determine the genetic relationship of nematode isolates with isolates from other countries found in GenBank. The PCR amplification results showed that the size of the sample DNA fragment was 600 bp. Four species of EPNs obtained from different rhizospheres in Bogor were identified as Steinernema carpocapsae , Metarhabditis rainai , Oscheius myriophilus , and Mesorhabditis cranganorensis .