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Project Sheds Light on the Future of Hops Production
Hops are an essential ingredient in beer brewing. The Czech Republic is one of the world leaders in hop production with a tradition spanning more than a thousand years. Roughly 80% of the hops produced in the Czech Republic are of the Saaz semi-early red bine hops (Žatecký poloraný červeňák) variety, grown in the northwestern part of the country. These hops are famous for their unique bitter flavor and light aroma essential for creating the unmistakable distinctive taste of pilsner lager, contributing to the worldwide recognition of Czech beer.
However, Saaz hops are now facing a crisis due to climate change, which has been accelerating in recent years. In addition to bouts of extreme cold and heat, other challenges include droughts and short periods of torrential rainfall, which continue to seriously affect yield and quality of hops.
“If they have enough water, hop vines can grow up to seven meters in two months. We have to figure out a new way to maintain quality and yield, unaffected by unstable weather conditions,” said a hop farmer who has been searching for a way to overcome these difficulties.
In response to such comments, FOR HOPS, a project to support hop farmers, was launched in 2021.
The project was created and is run by Plzeňský Prazdroj, which produces and markets the world famous Pilsner Urquell beer, its mother company Asahi Europe & International which serves as the regional headquarters for Asahi Group, and the tech industry giant Microsoft. Other partners in the project include the Hop Research Institute and the Hop Growers Union who apply innovative technologies in the agricultural sector.
Experts highly knowledgeable in their respective fields have joined forces in a pioneering attempt to shed light on the future of hops production, leveraging state-of-the-art technologies.
The goal of FOR HOPS is to increase the sustainability of hop production by creating a system that helps hop growers obtain accurate data on soil and climate conditions, leading to more efficient irrigation.
The team first selected six hop yards in the Saaz region to serve as pilot farms. In 2022, the soil in the hop yards was fitted with sensors, and sensors were attached directly on each hop plant to collect data on precipitation, humidity, and nutrients in the soil. The sensors fitted throughout the hop yards are referred to as hop ECG sensors, which were designed to indicate the stress level placed on the plants due to drought. Microsoft and Agritecture developed specialized software to handle this data, providing unique information on the plants' needs.
The developed software was made available to hop farmers in the form of a mobile app for testing. Hop farmers, who face ever-changing conditions, can use their smartphones to check the timing and extent of irrigation needed to maximize hop growth in each section of their vast hop yards. In a small-scale test conducted in 2023, some farmers achieved a 40% increase in yield. The project team is also working to build a robust network of like-minded partners, such as by holding workshops and conferences for the roughly 120 hop farmers in the Czech and sharing the findings of data analyses.
FOR HOPS aims to preserve Saaz hops, the heart and soul of pilsner beer, and ensure its future by bring together experts in various fields and taking advantage of all available capabilities. Moving forward, Asahi Group will continue to explore the possibility of applying the knowledge gained from this project in the Czech to hops production in other regions around the world. The Group also plans to apply this methodology in the cultivation of barley, another essential ingredient in beer brewing.
Asahi Group brings people together around the world through products and services that make the best use of nature’s gift to light up their lives. We will continue to work toward a brighter future through building connections with communities and society as a whole in order to achieve sustainable agricultural industry.
