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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427444
Research Project: Development of Superior Hops and Resilient Hop Production Systems

Location: Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit

Title: Registration of ‘USDA-ARS Vera’: A new public hop cultivar with tropical, stone-fruit aroma and powdery mildew resistance

Author
item Altendorf, Kayla
item Gent, David
item REITER, MAGGIE - Pacific Turfgrass Labs
item Henning, John
item KENNY, STEPHEN - Yakima Valley Community College

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/6/2025
Publication Date: 11/4/2025
Citation: Altendorf, K.R., Gent, D.H., Reiter, M., Henning, J.A., Kenny, S. 2025. Registration of ‘USDA-ARS Vera’: A new public hop cultivar with tropical, stone-fruit aroma and powdery mildew resistance. Journal of Plant Registrations. 19(3). Article e70033. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.70033.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.70033

Interpretive Summary: Brewers are seeking new public aroma hop varieties that have improved agronomics. USDA-ARS Vera is a new aroma public hop with a tropical, stone fruit, citrus aroma and resistance to hop powdery mildew, one of the most important diseases in hop production. USDA-ARS Vera was developed in collaboration with Washington State University and resulted in a cross between Brewer’s Gold and powdery mildew resistant male hop of Wild American descent, USDA 64103M, in 2011. USDA-ARS Vera ranked highly in sensory analyses of dry cone rubs and in experimental beers. USDA-ARS Vera was tested on farm in WA and ID from 2022-2024 and yielded between 1723-3049 kg/ha when mature (2+ years). It is a mid-late maturing hop (late September harvest in the Pacific Northwest) with low alpha acid content (3.79-5.44%). The release of Vera provides brewers and growers with a new, fruit-forward aroma hop that offers improved resistance to powdery mildew and is freely available to the public and is absent of intellectual property rights restrictions.

Technical Abstract: Brewers are seeking new public hop (Humulus lupulus L.) varieties that exhibit desirable tropical and stone-fruit aroma profiles for use in hop-forward beer. ‘USDA-ARS Vera’ (PI 707888), is a new hop developed in collaboration between USDA-ARS and Washington State University and released by USDA-ARS in 2025. Vera resulted from a cross made between Brewer’s Gold and a powdery mildew resistant male hop of Wild American descent, USDA 64103M, in 2011. Vera was tested under the experimental name W1108-333 and later HRC003. The variety is low in alpha-acids (3.79-5.44%) and is mid-late maturing (median harvest date 20 September in the Pacific Northwest), with on-farm yields between 1723-3049 kg/ha when mature (2+ years). Vera’s aroma is described as tropical, stone fruit, and citrus and descriptors are consistent from dry rub to the final beer. Vera possesses resistance to the predominant races of the causal pathogen of hop powdery mildew present in the Pacific Northwest, U.S, and moderate susceptibility to hop downy mildew. The release provides brewers and growers with a new, fruit-forward aroma hop with powdery mildew resistance that is freely available to the public and absent of intellectual property restrictions.