Influence of plantation row spacing on quality and yield of hops - Information

In 2004-2006 an influence of various plantation row spacings on yield and quality of hops was observed in field trials. A hybrid variety Agnus was selected for this purpose. The common space between the rows remained (300 cm). The tested distances of individual hop plants within each row amounted to 114 and 133 cm. We compared the standard kind of four trained bines from each hill with a new one (five bines per hill). The yield of hops was the highest if row spacing 300 × 114 cm was used (2.80 tons of dry hops per hectare). If spacing 300 × 133 cm was tested, the yield amounted to 2.69 t/ha. The lowest yield of hops was obtained when the common row spacing 300 × 100 cm was used (2.58 t/ha). Yield increase in the plots with new spacing was at the limit of significance. Weather was the main factor influencing hop crop in 2006. Statistically significant differences in the yield of hop cones were proved in the year with very good growing conditions (2005) as well as in the year with relatively bad weather conditions (2006). If average conditions prevailed (2004) no significant differences between experimental and control plots were observed. Alpha acid contents were the highest (12.45%) in the perspective row spacing (300 × 114 cm); a slight decrease was found when the spacing of 300 × 133 cm was used (11.92%). In the case of the control variant with the common row spacing 300 × 100 cm, alpha acid contents amounted to 12.29%.