USDA ACCESSION NO.: 62053
SELECTION: Selected at Wye College, England, prior to 1962
GENUS: Humulus
SPECIES: lupulus
CULTIVAR: Defender
PEDIGREE: Unknown
PRIMARY SITE: USDA World Hop Cultivar Collection, OSU East Farm, Corvallis
ORIGIN: Selected at Wye College, England, in the 1950's obtained in 1962 from Dr. R. A. Neve, Wye College, England, under PI No. 28 47 30. From a cross involving a New Mexico Wild American female hop, Eastwell Golding, and various other English hops.
DATE RECEIVED: 1962
METHOD RECEIVED: Rhizomes
AVAILABILITY: No restrictions, commercial variety
REFERENCES: Various Wye College reports, Wye College, England prior to 1961
Burgess, A. H. Hops. Interscience Publ. Inc., New York. 1964. p. 50
Neve R. A., In T. Wagner (ed.): Gene Pools of Hop Countries. Zalec, Yugoslavia. 1978. p. 30.
MATURITY: Early to medium early
LEAF COLOR: Medium green
SEX: Female
DISEASES: Downy Mildew: moderately resistant
Verticillium Wilt: resistant
Viruses: unknown
VIGOR: Poor to good
YIELD: Low (1000 1200 lbs/acre)
SIDE ARM LENGTH: 6 20 inches
ALPHA ACIDS: 4.0% (7 year range: 3.3 6.0%)
BETA ACIDS: 1.5% (7 year range: 1.1-2.5%)
COHUMULONE: 27%
STORAGE STABILITY: Fair, retained 59% of original alpha acids after 6 months room temperature storage
OIL: 0.5 ml/100 g (7 year range: 0.15 0.98)
MAJOR TRAITS: Resistant to Verticillium Wilt, susceptible to Downy Mildew in England.
OTHER INFORMATION: Pleasant, European type aroma characteristics, high humulene content (35% of the oil); oil contains significant amounts of farnesene (in contrast to Density and Janus); this variety is not grown any more commercially because of low yields and low alpha acids content. The exceptionally low beta acids content results in a very high alpha:beta ratio, which may be useful from a breeding standpoint.