National hop meetings on the horizon: Part one
Several important hop meetings will be held over the summer that could be informative for new and experienced hop growers
In addition to the MSU Northwest Michigan Hop Tour on August 14, 2015 several important out-of-state educational meetings are approaching. The Hop Research Council (HRC) recently released the draft agendas for the 2015 United States Hop Industry Summer meeting and the Hop Research Council Summer meeting. The HRC functions as a non-profit whose members include hop brokers, grower organizations, and brewers. The HRC provides funding for hop related research projects that seek to improve the industry. Current hop research areas of foci include: Breeding and hop genetics; Chemistry and brewing; Pathology, entomology, and Integrated Pest Management; and hop quality.
The meetings take place August 4-8, 2015 in Yakima, Washington. August 4 highlights include: Hop Growers of America Board Meeting, National Clean Plant Network-Hops meeting, U.S. Hop Industry Plant Protection Committee meeting, and the HRC and ISHS welcome dinner. August 5 is reserved for HRC researcher reports and updates, HRC and ISHS Luncheon and HRC members meeting, and the ISHS and HRC researcher dinner with invited guest speakers. To learn more, or for registration details please visit the HRC website and download the registration form.
Both of the above meetings will also be held in conjunction with the IV International Humulus Symposium, (IV ISHS) under the umbrella of the International Society for Horticultural Science. The Humulus symposium runs from August 6-8, 2015 and will include research presentations, poster sessions, and tours of hopyards and processing operations in the Yakima Valley. Participants will learn about cutting edge hop research and will be able to interact with world renowned hop scientists and growers from across the globe. Educational presentations will be offered under the following topic areas: 1. Quality and Innovation for Brewing, 2. Cultivation and Management, 3. New Uses in Industry and Health, 4. Variety Development, Biochemical Genetics and Breeding Genomics, 5. Plant Pathology, Virology, Entomology, and 6. Chemistry and Plant Physiology. Registration details for the Hop Symposium can be found online. As a re-emerging hop producing state, research-based information will be invaluable for our growers to maximize production of high quality hops.
For up to date information on hop production in Michigan please visit the MSU Hops website or contact your local Michigan State University Extension office.
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