Hops With Cancer

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paulhill

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hey guys

so i got some hops of ebay and one of them is taking off like a bat out of hell. A good foot or 2 long.

the other well have a look

dead_and_dieing_.jpg

as you can see the only green on it was almost dead anyhow so i ripped it out so i could use the pot
i also wanted to see what sort of root growth it had gotten

i was surprised to see something growing off the risiozme that looks a lot like cancer
anyone know what this is
 
doesnt look very healthy to me... snip off a 'clean' part of the zome and replant and check it for signs of vitality at the end of the season
 
My guess would be that it is a Nematode Gall. Something like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterodera_humuli

I'd inform the person you got it from as it is less than ideal to spread it around. It is likely to spread to your other hop plants if you have any.
Not sure how to treat it, Mr Google was not conclusive.

Edit: quote from link "Infection with this nematode can lead to a poor quality crop and a decrease in yield of hops of 50%."
 
thats a bit of a worry if that is what it is... Not listed as an Australian problem...

@ the OP - Id be asking the dude where these are from and possibly getting in touch with the council about it and giving them the rhizome to test...
 
If it is a hop cyst nematode, it is a 'notifiable' pest species in Tasmania. This is one of the sort of reasons why rhizomes are not generally allowed to be sent from other states to Tasmania and Western Australia.

It might not be a hop cyst nematode (given the quote below) but it is better to be safer than sorry yeah? Since hops are not a commercial species in Queensland it may not be much of an issue (it could perhaps be an issue for the eBay seller though...).

"In Australia, Heterodera humuli has a limited distribution and is recorded in only two hop gardens in Tasmania where it occurs at high population densities (Hay and Pethybridge 2003). This species is under official control in Australia." http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_f...iew29102010.pdf It is a scary document full of all sorts of potential doom.

I am just guessing in the dark and it may not be a hop cyst nematode's work.
I would reccommend you read this Biosecurity Queensland webpage: http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/4790_20308.htm so they can get someone to identify it.
 
Not sure what type or where or how but that my friend is a nematode! Sometimes they come with the plant material other times from material added to the garden such as manure. I got some ripping through my garden in a previous house by the latter method. Either way you have a problem and it can go through other types of plants such as vegies etc like shit through a goose. I'd be getting to your local garden centre ASAP and also resting that bed.
 

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