title: Metabarcoding analysis of Phytophthora diversity using of genus specific primers and 454 pyrosequencing
design: Samples of soil and roots were collected from ornamental potted plants in different nurseries across Apulia and Calabria, Southern Italy. After extractions, DNA samples from each nursery (soil and roots) were merged and amplified in triplicates using a semi-nested approach with Phytophthora genus specific primers (Scibetta et al., 2012). Purified PCR products were sequenced using a 1/8 of a PicoTiter Plate with the 454 GSFLX+System.