Kestrel combines outstanding taste attributes with excellent culinary qualities. Its has very attractive tubers with smooth skin and distinctive flashes of purple around the eyes. It is marketed as a premium branded variety by at least two GB packers.
Kestrel makes very good quality chips early and is especially popular for customers that prefer a golden coating and creamy white flesh. Kestrel has become an established variety of choice for garden produce competitions and is frequently the triumphant variety.
Kestrel is relatively easy to grow in both gardens and on commercial farms. The variety has partial resistance PCN G.Pallidia and some resistance to slugs. It has very good resistance to Blackleg.
Tuber Characteristics
- Shape: Oval to long-oval
- Skin Texture: Smooth and sometimes slightly netted
- Skin Color: Purple and cream-colored skin with a distinctive eye-catching appearance
- Flesh Color: Creamy yellow
- Texture: Firm and waxy, which holds its shape well during cooking
- Size: Medium to large-sized tubers, typically uniform in size
- Eyes: Shallow eyes, making it easier to peel
Pest and disease resistances
- Common Scab: Slightly susceptible
- Powdery Scab: Slightly susceptible
- Gangrene: n/a
- Black Leg: Good resistance
- Foliage Blight: Slightly susceptible
- Silver Scurf: Moderate resistance
- Dry Rot: Moderate resistance
- Tuber Blight: Moderately susceptible
- Potato Leaf Roll Virus: Moderately susceptible
- Potato Virus Y: Moderate resistance
- PCN RO1: Partial resistance
- PCN pallida (2,3): Partial resistance
- Black Dot: Moderate resistance
- Rhizoctonia: n/a
