Characterization of Wild Corsican Hops and Assessment of the Performances of German Hops in Corsican Environmental Conditions through a Multidisciplinary Approach

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) is a species that grows spontaneously in Corsica, but the characterization of this species in this territory has not yet been investigated. The main objectives of this study are to explore the features of wild hops from Corsica and to determine the effect of the island terroir on some cultivars in the first year of growth. A multidisciplinary approach consisting of the genetic analysis, morphological comparison and chemical characterization of essential oils was carried out on four wild Corsican hops and three hop cultivars grown in Tettnang, Germany and Corsica, France. The morphological and GC-MS analysis of Corsican wild hops, set cluster coastal samples apart from the one far from the coast. This dissimilarity is supported by the SSR analysis by two of the three coastal accessions. The genetics demonstrate a proximity between the European noble cultivar Tettnanger and the mountain Corsican wild hop from Corte. The morphological comparison between German hops cultivated in Tettnang and in Corsican soil, and the GC-MS characterization of their essential oils’ chemical profiles, show different features between year 0 and year +1 for each sample. This multidisciplinary approach highlights an acclimatization of hop cultivars to the Corsican terroir one year after planting.