Projects / Programmes
Providing competitiveness of Slovenian hop growing with flavour hop varieties selection
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.01 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Agricultural plants |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B006 |
Biomedical sciences |
Agronomics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
hop, new variety, brewing value, essential oil, irrigation
Researchers (9)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
One of the objectives of the common agricultural policy in Slovenia and EU is a production of safe, high-quality and low-cost food, providing high nutritional value and enabling high level of self-sufficiency rate as well. Hop has been used in beer brewing process for centuries. It gives bitterness and typical aroma to the beer. Increasing interest and demand for different beer types and consequently different hop flavours, especially on global hop market, the Slovenian hop flavour candidate varieties will be studied in the proposed project. Since more than 95 % of Slovenian hop is exported, the expansion of new hop flavour varieties to foreign markets is crucial for maintenance of competitiveness of Slovenian hop market.
Because of the need to assure safe food and at the same time to maintain the Slovenian hop growing industry as the main export branch in Slovenian agriculture, in the proposed project we will (1) supplement the selection of new hop flavour varieties, which will be supported with performed chemical and sensory analyses performed in Slovenia (IHPS, potential Slovenian breweries) and abroad; (2) brewing value of the new flavour hop candidate varieties will be determined in the reference laboratory with appropriate microbrewery (probably at the Czech Research Institute of Brewing and Malting in Prague); (3) on the basis of made analyses we will prepare and professionally support pentagrams of flavor varieties and breeding lines in testing which are already or will be grown in Slovenia; (4) we will register at least one new hop flavour variety; because of duration of official examination of hop varieties, which takes up to 3 years, more examinations will be completed in a year after expiery of the project; (5) we will design new catalogue of varieties which will include information about flavour hop varieties supported with text, graphic and photographic material and will also include newly produced pentagrams of varieties; (6) study irrigation management options using evapotranspiration based controllers for two most widely used irrigation technologies in hop production and (7) results of the study (our own findings as well as opinions of foreign experts from breweries) will be disseminated to the stakeholders (hop growers on regular hop meetings (6/year), on annual Hop Seminar, in Hmeljar magazine, scientific articles in publication Hop Bulletin), we will prepare at least one international scientific paper.
With the proposed project the key information will be gained and new market niche will be transferred to Slovenian hop growing industry. In the field of agriculture competitiveness we will introduce the irrigation management with evapotranspiration based controllers. Because of complexity and interdisciplinary character of the proposed project the project team is comprised with different experts from different working fields. With the objectives of the project we are contributing towards the call of applications – 'Zagotovimo.si hrano za jutri' in the year 2014.
Significance for science
The project team was active in the field of scientific publications – in the time of project duration 1 SCI article was published, the 2. article is under revision in relevant scientific journal. The conclusions of the project were published on 7 scientific commissions in Slovenia and on international level as well. The research was innovative and we can assume that the basis and good starting points were revealed. Registered varieties are genetically very interested since they are composed from foreign and autochthonous germplasm and are good base for future research. Obtained brewing value of flavour varieties will be upgraded with additional analysis as well. The project was very interdisciplinary oriented so many different starting points for further scientific research were revealed.
Significance for the country
Because of very applicative goals the project results have long-terming effects - they are enabling the use of hop varieties on the market. Hop growing as the main Slovenian exporting agricultural branch will achieve better results. The results of the project are directly useful in Slovenian hop growing and the new varieties are already grown on app. 30 ha of Slovenian hop farms. All yield is sold and together with results of our project dissemination – variety catalogue – the hops are contracted for next few years as well. The project itself supports competitiveness of Slovenian agriculture on global market, since 99 % of Slovenian hops are exported.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
final report
