Hops

Project description:

HOPTIMIZE will establish predictive breeding in hops (Humulus lupulus L.), enabling prediction of yield stability under drought stress and quality for various applications already in the early stages of the hop breeding process, thereby significantly increasing selection gain and ultimately sustainability and competitiveness of hop production. We aim for phenotyping a diversity panel and five half-sib populations in multiple locations with contrasting soil water availability for developmental, physiological, yield and quality-related traits. We will analyze carbon isotope discrimination of hop leaves under contrasting water availability to assess and improve water use efficiency in the field. High-value, quality-related hop cone compounds will be identified and linked to sensory perceptions for determining significant trade-offs in breeding more drought-adapted hop varieties with good quality for brewing, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. We will analyze the genetic architecture of all assessed phenotyping traits. For traits with major effects, we will identify QTL and candidate genes paving the way for genome editing even in the specialty crop hop. Within HOPTIMIZE, we will perform in silico selection based on the adapted statistical methods and independently validate those predictions using newly developed and genotyped populations. Statistical methods will be optimized for targeted utilization of wild hop germplasm broadening the genetic basis of this versatile and fascinating crop.