Fertilizer Requirements of Hops and High-Yield Fertilization Techniques and Timing

Hops originated in Europe, the Americas and Asia. They can be used for brewing beer and for medicinal purposes. So what are the fertilizer requirements of hops in China, along with high-yield fertilization techniques and timing? Hops are perennial herbaceous plants that can continue growing for about 20 years after planting. According to reports, producing every 100 kg of dried hops requires the uptake of 16 kg of nitrogen, 8 kg of phosphorus and 15 kg of potassium.

The uptake and utilization of required nutrients by hops differ across growth stages. Most of the nutrients absorbed during the hop seedling stage are provided by uptake through the perennial roots. As new roots form and plant growth accelerates, nutrient uptake begins to increase, but throughout the seedling stage, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium account for only 2.5%, 1.9% and 2.1% of total uptake respectively. Although nutrient uptake during this period is not large, it is very important, as it is the foundation for future growth. At the flowering stage, hops enter a phase where vegetative growth and reproductive growth proceed together, and nutrient uptake increases markedly, with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium already accounting for 19.3%, 13.9% and 14.1% respectively. Entering the cone formation stage, this is the period of most vigorous growth and development for hops and also the period of greatest nutrient uptake, with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake reaching 50.5%, 53.5% and 54.9% respectively. At this time the cones form and nutrients are transferred to the cones; sufficient phosphorus and potassium are beneficial to cone development. During the maturity stage, nutrient uptake slows, with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake all around 30%. At this time, maintaining a certain nutrient level can prevent premature senescence.

Hop fertilization is divided into base fertilizer and topdressing. The base fertilizer is mainly organic fertilizer, applying 3 to 4 tonnes of organic fertilizer per 667 sq m, together with 20 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 4 to 5 kg of nitrogen fertilizer; for soils with insufficient potassium supply, potassium fertilizer should also be added. When cutting the buds, apply the fertilizer in the bud-cutting furrows. The amount of nitrogen applied as base fertilizer (including the nitrogen in organic fertilizer) accounts for about 60% of the total nitrogen applied, while nitrogen applied as topdressing at the flowering stage accounts for 40%, applying 16 to 18 kg of nitrogen per 667 sq m, split into 3 applications: 10% at the seedling-leading stage, 20% at the bud stage, and 10% at the cone formation stage, applied by the hole application method. Applying about 5 kg of potassium fertilizer at the bud stage has a good yield-increasing effect. Spraying a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution in the later period helps improve the quality of hops.