The future of hops

Just a few things I have been seeing this week in Washington’s Yakima Valley.

Hop cones - sisters

Sisters. Cones taken from sister plants in one of Hopsteiner’s experimental yards. What can happen from just one generation to the next. In case you were wondering why breeders talk about phenotype and genotype.

Tissue culture room at Yakima chief propagation facility in Zilla, Washington.

The tissue culture room at the YCH Hops propagation center in Zillah. The high tech facility is strikingly different than the nostalgic Teapot Dome Service Station Zillah is better known for.

USDA-ARS breeding yard in Prosser, Washington

A breeding yard at the USDA ARS station in Prosser, Washington.