USDA ACCESSION NO.: 21183

SELECTION: Seedling selection from an open pollinated cross on Brewer's Gold made in 1968 in Idaho

GENUS: Humulus

SPECIES: lupulus

CULTIVAR: Eroica

PEDIGREE: Brewer's Gold, (USDA 19001) x OP

PRIMARY SITE: USDA Hop Cultivar World Collection, OSU East Farm, Corvallis

ORIGIN: Seed collected by R.R. Romanko, Idaho, in 1968; germinated in 1969; selected under heavy inoculations of downy mildew fungus as a baby plant in the greenhouse

DATE RECEIVED: Spring 1978

METHOD RECEIVED: Rhizomes

AVAILABILITY: Commercial cultivar, no restrictions

REFERENCES: Romanko, R.R., J. Jaeger, G.B. Nickerson, C.E. Zimmermann, and A. Haunold. Registration of Eroica hop (Registration No. 8). Crop Sci. 22:1261. 1982.

Romanko, R.R. In: Steiner's Guide to American Hops. Book III, 2nd edition. 1986. pp. 64 - 66.

Probasco, G. Hop varieties grown in the USA. Brauwelt International 1985/1: 30-34.

Haunold, A. Development of hop varieties. Zymurgy 13(4) :15-23. 1990.

Romanko, R.R., and G.B. Nickerson. New hops. Modern Brewery Age. MS 5-11, April 1981.

MATURITY: Late

LEAF COLOR: Medium to medium dark green

SEX: Female

DISEASES: Downy Mildew: moderately resistant

Verticillium wilt: resistant

Viruses: slight infection with Prunus Necrotic

Ringspot, Apple Mosaic, and Hop Mosaic

VIGOR: Very good

YIELD: Very good to excellent (1800-2200 lbs/acre)

SIDEARM LENGTH: 20-40 inches

ALPHA ACIDS: 12.3% (10-year range 7.3 to 14.9%)

BETA ACIDS: 4.5% (10-year range 3.0 to 5.3%)

COHUMULONE: 40%

STORAGE STABILITY: Good to very good (retained 77% of original alpha acids after 6 months room temperature storage

OIL: O.90 ml/100 g; H/C ratio 0.07; contains very little humulene

MAJOR TRAITS: High yield potential, high alpha acids content, very late maturity.

OTHER INFORMATION: Difficult to pick, cones are hard to pull off, which slows down the mechanical picking process; no problems with cleaning; adapted to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In 1990 756 acres of Eroica produced a total of 1.3 million pounds with an average yield of 1728 lbs/acre. Eroica acreage has steadily declined in favor of Galena (USDA 21182) from a high of 1726 in 1985 to 641 acres in 1991. Total 1991 production was 1.23 million lbs, all in southern Idaho and Washington. In 1996, total production was only 380.600 lbs, all in Washington In 1997 Eroica had almost disappeared This selection is identical to USDA 21220 but carries Prunus Necrotic Ringspot and Apple Mosaic viruses.