Yield and quality of furrow and trickle irrigated hop (Humulus lupulus L.) in Washington State

The results of a 2 year study of the effect of trickle and furrow irrigation methods on hop production in a desert region in northwest United States are presented. Also discussed are the implications to hop production in areas with higher rainfall.Trickle, furrow, and cutback furrow irrigation systems and their associated methods of fertilization were evaluated in a commercial hop yard. Leaf diffusive resistance, leaf water potential, alpha and beta acid content, and yield were measured. Also monitored was the efficiency of irrigation water use and the intregration of these irrigation methods with commercial crop production practices. Trickle irrigation with fertilizer injection provided several crop management advantages but required changes in cultivation practices. In the 2nd year of study, the highest yield and quality of hop was obtained from trickle irrigated plots which received the least amounts of water, fertilizer and labor inputs.