Impact of Variety and Biochar Soil Amendment on Production of Humulus lupulus in Tennessee

Abstract

Hops (Humulus lupulus) are a perennial, vining rhizomes whose strobiles from female plants have applications for brewing and pharmaceuticals industries.  Current US production takes place in the Pacific Northwest, but with the recent explosion in the craft brewing industry and a focus on locally sourced materials there is a need to evaluate hop production in the Upper Cumberland region.  Six varieties of hops, Cascade, Fuggle, Chinook, Sorachi Ace, Nugget, and Newport, were chosen based on lineage, disease resistance, and previous reports of vigor.  These varieties were evaluated in a low trellis system, which is atypical to most commercial production systems.  This system reduces labor and offers cheaper startup costs as no specialized equipment is required. Hops rhizomes were planted in a replicated randomized block design with a treatment of biochar added as a soil amendment.  Biochar, a byproduct of gasification, is reported to improve soil structure and create habitats for soil microbes to increase crop production. Growth and yield data were collected. The variety Cascade (294.0 g of strobiles/plant) showed significantly higher yields than all other varieties. Fuggle and Sorachi Ace yielded the lowest with 10.4 and 8.3 g strobiles/plant, respectively. Cascade, Nugget, and Newport grew significantly higher than all other treatments. Biochar soil amendments showed no significant effect on either yield or plant height. While Cascade shows the highest promise for production in the Upper Cumberland region, these perennial plants will need to be evaluated for their potential during their fourth or fifth years of growth.