USDA ACCESSION NO.: 66055

SELECTION: Selected by Dr. R.H.J. Roborgh at the Riwaka Research Station, near Nelson, New Zealand, in the early 1960's

GENUS: Humulus

SPECIES: lupulus

CULTIVAR: First Choice

PEDIGREE: California Cluster x Open Pollinated

PRIMARY SITE: USDA, ARS World Hop Cultivar Collection, Corvallis, Oregon, OSU East Farm

ORIGIN: Seedling Selection

DATE RECEIVED: Spring 1966; PI Number 314969

METHOD RECEIVED: Rhizomes

AVAILABILITY: No restrictions, commercial cultivar

REFERENCES: USDA, ARS Annual Report for Hop Investigations 1966, p.8.

MATURITY: Late

LEAF COLOR: Medium dark green

SEX: Female

DISEASES: Downy Mildew: moderately susceptible

Verticillium wilt: unknown

Viruses: unknown

VIGOR: Very good

YIELD: Fair to good near Corvallis, very good in New Zealand. Corvallis 5 year average 872 lbs. (range 800 1,400 lbs/acre)

SIDEARM LENGTH: 12 to 24 inches

ALPHA ACIDS: 5.6% (5 year range 4.8 6.7%)

BETA ACIDS: 4.8% (5 year range 3.5 6.7%)

COHUMULONE: 39%

STORAGE STABILITY: Very good, retained 74% of original alpha acids after 6 months room temperature storage

OIL: 0.93% (5 year range 0.51 1.25 ml/100 g)

MAJOR TRAITS: High yield potential, some similarity to Cluster, very low humulene (0.7%); H/C ratio 0.48.

OTHER INFORMATION: Grown commercially in New Zealand for 20 years starting in the early 1960's; not grown commercially any more.