16S rRNA and ITS gene sequence of apple replant rhizosphere in Michigan

As part of a soil health assessment in old orchards before replanting with new trees, we investigated the rhizosphere microbial community structure and composition of apple trees prior to anticipated replant. We collected 45 soil samples taken from 20 geographic “blocks” of apple orchards that represent a gradient of environmental conditions for apple orchards in Michigan. We amplified V4 region of 16S rRNA gene using 515f/806r primer pairs (Caporaso et al. 2012) and ITS1 region of fungal ITS gene using ITS1f/ITS2 primer pairs (Smith and Peay 2014). Sequencing of those genes were conducted using high-throughput Illumina MiSeq platform at the Research Technology Support Facility (RTSF) Genomic Core, Michigan State University (MSU).