THE EVALUATION OF PROGENIES FROM HOP CROSSBREEDINGS (HUMULUS-LUPULUS L) WITH THE PREFERENCE OF BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The gene pool of new bred hybrids includes 6 500 to 7 000 individuals in station trials. Each year 50% of this gene pool is altered by proge nies from approximately 30 various new crossbreedings. The best seedli ngs are transferred to the nursery plot of mother strains (HSKM), whic h had 674 various genotypes in the year 1995. Considerable shift in de mands to new hop varieties brought out the need for re-evaluation of t he current gene pool. Chromatography analyses of hop bitter acids and hop essential oils have enabled to determine some biochemical characte ristics of new cultivars. In 1995 these analyses were performed with 1 04 hybrides. The results of analyses showed that the collection of tes ted hybrids represents the genotypes of all quality groups of hops. in the future the whole hybrid collection is supposed to be evaluated in the same way with the aim concentrated on aroma hops, which would con siderably get over current aroma varieties in the yield and alpha-bitt er acids content.