Effector gene based DGGE fingerprinting to assess variation within and among populations.

Populations of beet cyst nematodes vary in aggressiveness and virulence toward sugar beet varieties, but also in traits like host range, or decline rate in the field. Diversity of their essential pathogenicity gene is shaped by diversifying selection and gene flow. The authors developed a technique to study inter-population variation and intra-population diversity and dynamics of based on the gene .