General Description
Kestrel is early-ripening, with high evergreen potential and superior berry quality
Cultivar name: Kestrel (selection code FL02-40)
Recommended for Florida: yes
FL region best adapted to: central and south-central Florida
Production system: evergreen
Hydrogen cyanamide: not recommended
Machine Harvestability: no data yet; detachment force can be very low which may not be ideal for machine harvesting
Per plant yields (Density 1,452-1,742 plants/acre):
o North Central FL (2015-2019): 3.0 – 5.3 lbs/plant, average 4.3 lbs/plant
o South Central FL (2019): 4.7 lbs/plant
Known disease susceptibility: none observed to date
Known insect damage susceptibility: has some susceptibility to southern red mite damage.
Fruit quality data:
o Fruit firmness: 175 – 234 g/mm, average 204 g/mm, similar to Emerald
o Berry Weight: 1.8 – 2.6 grams, average 2.1 grams, smaller than Emerald, similar to Chickadee
o Berry Diameter: 16.5 – 19.6 mm, average 17.5 mm, similar to Arcadia
o Brix: 10.3 – 15.2, average 12.2, higher than Emerald, similar to Optimus
o Brix/Acid Ratio: 13.1 – 41.4, average 24.8, similar to Emerald
o Fruit scar: normal (small and dry), similar to Emerald
o Wax/bloom: medium
o Fruit defects: none observed
o Flavor Score – 29.0; among highest scores from taste panels
o Aroma: yes, high
Cultivars with overlapping timing of flowering:
o North-central FL - Keecrisp, Patrecia, San Joaquin, Vireo
o Central and south-central FL – Arcadia, Chickadee
Other information: The berry quality of Kestrel is excellent, as the plant produces berries that are plump, firm, and aromatic, with medium loose berry clusters and very low berry detachment force.
License availability: For a list of current nursery licensees in the USA, click here
Performance 2018-2019 Season
Fruit Quality and Yield
The following plots show the most important fruit quality traits and yield, across the season.
The vertical lines in the yield plots indicate when 10%, 50% and 90% of the harvest was achieved during the season.
Dotted lines indicate the desired values for new cultivars:
-
Berry weight greater than 2g
-
Fruit Diameter greater than 14mm
-
Firmness higher than 150g/mm
-
Brix higher than 10%
-
TTA less than 1%
-
Brix/TTA higher than 14 units
Warning: Yield plot coming from harvesting of two bushes. Values may seem overestimated as all the fruit from the bush is harvested, and because this is harvest yield and no packed yield. Use this data to compare among cultivars and no to predict potential yield on your farm.
Measurements are in grams (g). To convert from grams to pounds (lb) use the following formula:
lb of fruit per bush = (g of fruit) x (0.002204)
Kestrel Gallery
License Availability
For licensing availability contact Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP):