Regional trial evaluation and cultivar selection of triploid hop hybrids

Abstract

A regional trial series on 12 triploid hop selections together with four check triploid culti vars was conducted. The aim was to assess commercial potential of the hop selections and to estimate the importance of genotype x environment (G x E) interaction. The triploids were derived from crossing three tetraploid female cultivars—'Hallertauer', 'Smoothcone', and 'First Choice'—with diploid males. Genotype x environment interactions were statistically significant for all of the characters measured. However, the magnitude of the interaction components of variance were much less than that caused by genotype variation. Of the 12 selections tested two were considered to have commercial potential as high alpha acid producing types. They were subsequently evaluated in more detail for several hop chemistry characteristics. One of the two selections has now been named ('Pacific Gem') and released for commercial production whereas the other is currently still under brewing trial evaluation. Modifications to the evaluation of advanced hop selections under New Zealand conditions is discussed in light of the relative importance of G x E interaction to the main effect of genotypes. © 1994 The Royal Society of New Zealand.