Effect of Humulus lupulus cultivar on first-year growth and strobile yield utilizing a tall-trellis production system in Florida, United States

Hops (Humulus lupulus) are a perennial, herbaceous climbing crop cultivated for their strobiles or cones.
Resin produced by the cones are used as an antimicrobial preservative as well as to impart unique flavors and aroma in food and beer products.
Although hop production in the United States is centered within the Pacific Northwest with greater than 13,000 ha in production, increased demand has generated a need for expanded commercial production. 150 hop rhizomes consisting of five cultivars (‘Canadian Red Vine’, ‘Cluster’, ‘Comet’, ‘Santiam’, and ‘Southern Brewer’) were transplanted into native deep sand soil (Tavares-Millhopper soil series) and trained onto a 6 m tall-trellis production system located in Apopka, Florida, United States.
Plant growth indices (height × width 1 × width 2) were significantly different (P<0.05) among cultivars beginning 4 weeks after transplant (WAT) with ‘Cluster’ and ‘Canadian Red Vine’ having greatest plant growth.
At termination of the experiment, 22 WAT, plant growth indices were 0.35, 0.26, 0.22, 0.14, 0.05, and 0.01 m³ for ‘Canadian Red Vine’, ‘Cluster’, ‘Southern Brewer’, ‘Comet’, and ‘Santiam’, respectively.
Strobile dry mass year one was 6.4, 3.8, 2.2, 1.0, and 0.2 g plant^-1 for ‘Canadian Red Vine’, ‘Cluster’, ‘Comet’, ‘Southern Brewer’, and ‘Santiam’, respectively.
Results from this work are foundational in assessing commercial production viability and in determining cultivar selection for strobile production.

International Symposia on Tropical and Temperate Horticulture – ISTTH2016

B.J. Pearson, R.M. Smith

hops, lupulin, ‘Canadian Red Vine’, ‘Cluster’, ‘Comet’, ‘Santiam’, ‘Southern Brewer’

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1205.61