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Everyone in Michigan enjoys a nice craft brew from time to time. But the state’s craft industry may be under attack by a small parasitic creature that feeds on one of the main ingredients to beer. That’s where researchers at Michigan State University step in. Entomology Doctoral Student Ellie Darling and Dr. Marisol Quintanilla received grant funding for their research into hops cyst nematodes, from Michigan’s Craft Beverage Council in 2020. Because hops are only harvested every 10 to 15 years, they are susceptible to nematodes and other pests.
One challenge Darling and Quintanilla face is a lack of previous research into hops cyst nematodes. Farmers face their own challenges as well, because it is difficult to find unaffected hops rhizomes before its too late. Cyst nematodes have a small range, creating a host-parasitic relationship that can cause a smaller harvests.
Michigan’s primary hops agriculture takes place in the southwestern region near Lake Michigan. Michigan’s climate has made the state one of the best places to grow hops outside the Pacific Northwest, lending to many of the state’s 350 craft brewers. Over twenty of whom are found in the Upper Peninsula.
