One-Half Century of Hop Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Alfred Haunold, S. T. Likens, C. E. Horner, S. N. Brooks, and C. E. Zimmermann, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Corvallis, OR 97331.. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 43:0123, 1985.

U.S. government support for hop research started at Oregon State University in 1930 when most American hops were grown in that state. Research was aimed at finding genetic resistance to downy mildew by breeding and germ plasm introduction and at developing chemical control measures against the disease. Later, work expanded to include agronomic, physiological, and chemical investigations. U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists independently, and in cooperation with state scientists in Idaho and Washington, released several new hop varieties that now account for about 35% of total U.S. hop production. Significant contributions to hop growing and utilization also came from research in hop pathology, chemistry, agronomy, and physiology.

Keywords: Breeding, Germ plasm, Hop diseases, Physiology, Varieties