Scientists test bacteria to boost hop production in Brazil

Brazil may no longer be dependent on the imports of hops. Scientists from the country’s agricultural research agency Embrapa are testing biological ingredients that may help make their seedlings grow faster.

Nearly all hops used in breweries across Brazil are imported. Hop flowers are the most expensive component in beer production and play a major role in its flavor and aroma.

The studies show that the production of hops can benefit from the action of bacteria and fungi. As is the case with other crops whose growth is enhanced by bio-based ingredients, experiments with hop seedlings inoculated with Azospirillum bacteria led to a 52-percent increase in the plant’s above-ground biomass.

“Our goal is to find biological ingredients that stimulate the development of more vigorous seedlings with shorter nursery time, resulting in benefits in productivity and, who knows, even in hops’ sensory quality,” Embrapa Researcher Gustavo Xavier said.

Research

The experiment was conducted at the Ninkasi nursery, in Teresópolis, a mountainous city just outside Rio. It is the first place authorized by the Agriculture Ministry to produce hop seedlings in Brazil.

The specialists tested bacteria and fungi stored at the Johanna Döbereiner Biological Resource Center, in Seropédica, also in Rio de Janeiro state. These organisms are famous for promoting plant growth, but it was not yet known whether they would have any benefit on hops.

In addition to carrying out new field tests with different bacteria from Embrapa’s biological collection, the specialists wish to find out how hops interact with other micro-organisms, like fungi and bacilli. “Preliminary though the results are, they point to great potential for incorporating these bio-based ingredients into hop growing,” Xavier added.

Production

In 2021, Brazil imported approximately 4,700 tons of hops, amounting to more than BRL 450 million, as per figures from Embrapa. To minimize this dependence, besides Rio de Janeiro, hop growing is also expanding in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and Rio Grande do Norte. Most of the cultivation can be found on small properties of up to one hectare, to meet the local production of micro-breweries.

The four basic ingredients in beer production are water, wheat, barley, and hops. Regarded as the spice of beer, hops are usually imported in 400-gram containers that can cost up to BRL 300.