Nematoda entomopatogen merupakan agens hayati pengendali hama yang umumnya beraktivitas didalam tanah. Penggunaan mulsa penutup tanah dapat mempengaruhi iklim mikro tanah dan dapat mempengaruhi aktivitas biota tanah termasuk nematoda entomopatogen. Tujuan penelitian yakni menguji dan membandingkan kemampuan nematoda entomopatogen (NEP) dalam menginfeksi inang di dalam tanah yang tertutup mulsa. Penelitian menggunakan metode percobaan dengan perlakuan penggunaan mulsa jerami, mulsa plastik hitam, dan mulsa plastik silver, serta tanpa mulsa. Masing-masing perlakuan diulang sebanyak 6 (enam) kali. Percobaan dilakukan dengan dua tahapan yakni pra-tanam dan tanam (fase vegetatif). Percobaan dilakukan dengan memasukkan 10 larva pada masing-masing petak perlakuan yang menggunakan mulsa selama 14 hari. Parameter kemampuan NEP menginfeksi inang berdasarkan mortalitas larva dan jumlah infective juvenile (IJ). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbedaan tingkat mortalitas dan jumlah IJ pada penggunaan beberapa jenis mulsa. Kemampuan NEP dalam menginfeksi inang pada fase pra tanam berdasarkan tingkat kematian atau mortalitas mencapai 25–29.2%, dan jumlah IJ mencapai 665.6–894.0 IJ. Sedangkan pada fase tanam, tingkat mortalitas dan jumlah IJ mencapai 34.2- 38.3% dan 757.3-985.7 IJ. Kisaran suhu dan kelembapan pada penggunaan mulsa dan tanpa mulsa masih berada pada kisaran normal, sehingga mempengaruhi kemampuan NEP dalam menginfeksi inang.
Kata Kunci: Entomopatogen, Infective Juvenile, Mulsa, Nematoda

Entomopathogenic nematodes are biological pest control agents that generally work in the soil. The use of ground cover mulch can affect the microclimate of the soil and can affect the activity of soil biota including entomopathogenis nematodes (NEP) to infect hosts in mulch-covered soil. The study used and experimental method with treatment using straw mulch, black plastic mulch, and silver plastic mulch, and without mulch. Each treatment was repeated 6 (six) times. The experiment was carried out in two stages, namely pre-planting and planting (vegetative phase). The experiment was carried out by inserting 10 larvae in each treatmen plot using mulch for 14 days. Parameters of the ability of NEP to infect the host were based on larval mortality and the number of infective juveniles (IJ). The results showed that there was no difference in the mortality rate and number of IJ in the use of several types of mulch. The ability of NEP to infect the host in the pre-planting phase based on the mortality or mortality rate reached 25-29.2%, and the number if IJ reached 665.6-790.7 IJ. While in the planting phase, the mortality rate and the number of IJ reached 34.2-38.3% and 790.7-985.7 IJ. The range of temperature and humidity in the use of mulch and without mulch was still in the normal range, thus affecting the ability of NEP to infect the host. Keywords: Entomopathogens, Infective Juvenile, Mulch, Nematodes