Brewers Association Funds Public Hop Breeding Program

The Brewers Association (BA) announced on 30 October an agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to fund public hop breeding for the purpose of developing and releasing disease resistant aroma hop cultivars into the public domain, in support of hop growing efforts throughout the US. The trust agreement between the BA and USDA-ARS provides funding for a program located in Washington and Oregon to leverage significant existing academic and operational infrastructure.

“Public hop breeding creates benefits for a broad range of groups within the hop and brewing industries,” said Chris Swersey, supply chain specialist for the BA. “Research to develop and release hop cultivars with no intellectual property protection ensures that all growers have access to high quality, disease-resistant cultivars they need to sustain production at levels required by brewers. In the long-term, this important program will fuel efforts of existing legacy growers as well as nascent hop growing industries throughout the US. The program will also fulfill an essential stewardship strategy by providing foundational germplasm for public and private breeding programs. Even the smallest brewers will be able to source ingredients they need to produce that truly local pint.”

The research will prioritize breeding efforts in four areas: sensory requirements as determined by the Brewers Association through a collaborative and participatory brewer and industry stakeholder program; improved downy mildew resistance; improved powdery mildew resistance; and improved agronomic performance compared to existing aroma cultivars.