USDA ACCESSION NO.: 21043

SELECTION: Selection no. l/61/55 from a cross made at Wye College England, in 1961

GENUS: Humulus

SPECIES: lupulus

CULTIVAR: Wye Challenger

PEDIGREE: German Zattler-OP x No. Brewer-downy mildew res. male (17/54/2) x (1/61/57)

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

ORIGIN: Cross made at Wye College, England, in 1961

DATE RECEIVED: 1971; PI Nr. 369162

METHOD RECEIVED: Rhizomes

AVAILABILITY: No restrictions, commercial variety

REFERENCES: Neeve, R.A. Ann. Rep. for 1969, Dep. Hop Research, Wye College, Univ. London. p 10.

Wagner, T. Gene Pools of Hop Countries. p. 24. Inst. Hop Research, Zalec, Yugoslavia. 1978.

Neeve, R.A. Hops. Chapman and Hall, London/New York. First edition 1991, p. 204.

MATURITY: Medium to medium late

LEAF COLOR: Dark green

SEX: Female

DISEASES: Downy Mildew: resistant

Powdery Mildew: resistant

Verticillium wilt: resistant; also resistant to progressive wilt.

Viruses: unknown

VIGOR: Good to very good

YIELD: Substantially better than Northern Brewer (USDA 64107). Variable yield performance over a 10-year period in small plots near Corvallis (800-1600 lbs/acre)

SIDEARM LENGTH: 12-20 inches

ALPHA ACIDS: 7.9% (10-year range 6.2-9.8%)

BETA ACIDS: 4.6% (10-year range 3.6-5.9%)

COHUMULONE: 23%

STORAGE STABILITY: Good to very good (71% alpha remaining after 6 months room temperature storage)

OIL: 1.35 ml/100 g (10-year range 0.60-1.90 ml/100 g). Humulene 16.4%; caryophyllene 5.5%; myrcene 55.1%; farnesene 0.6%. H/C ratio = 2.99

MAJOR TRAITS: Highly resistant to downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora humuli), higher alpha acids potential than Northern Brewer (64107) or Bullion (64100); resistant to Verticillium wilt.

OTHER INFORMATION: This cultivar is one of the major hop varieties grown in England in the 1980's and early 1990's.