OUTSTANDING QUALITIES
- Mid-maturing red beetroot
- Smooth, uniform roots with a small, refined taproot and sweet taste
- Adapted for cool season production – high bolting tolerance
- Excellent foliar disease resistance package
- Ideal for baby beet production
Kestrel is a medium maturing red beetroot hybrid, suitable for warm and cool season production. Kestrel produces high quality, smooth, uniform, globe shaped roots which is complemented with a small, refined taproot and deep red external and internal root colour. Kestrel’s hybrid vigour leads to early, uniform plant establishment and its ability to produce a round shape with a small crown, small leaf attachment and fine taproot at an early stage makes it an excellent candidate for baby beet production. Kestrel is suitable for the bunched, fresh and pre-pack markets, and in addition roots can be stored (controlled environment) for extended periods of time when harvested at full maturity. Kestrel has intermediate resistance against Cercospora leaf spot/Cb (Cercospora beticola), Downy mildew/Pfb (Peronospora farinosa f.sp. betae) and Powdery mildew/Ep (Erysiphe polygoni) – the latter ensures an erect and healthy foliage throughout the growing season.
SPECIAL VARIETAL REQUIREMENTS
- Sakata do not recommend sowing during April, May and June in areas prone to heavy frost.
- Contact a Sakata area representative for a beetroot sowing guide.
|
CHARACTERISTIC* |
KESTREL |
|
KIND |
F1 hybrid, round red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) |
|
SOWING SEASON |
All year round |
|
MATURITY |
Medium Warm season: 70 – 85 days from sowing Cool season: 90 – 110 days from sowing |
|
ROOT DIMENSIONS |
Baby to medium (20mm – 55mm). Root size is influenced by the plant population |
|
ROOT SHAPE |
Globe |
|
ROOT UNIFORMITY (SHAPE AND SIZE) |
Excellent |
|
EXTERNAL ROOT/SKIN COLOUR |
Deep red |
|
INTERNAL ROOT/FLESH COLOUR |
Deep red |
|
INTERNAL ZONING |
Little/very faint |
|
ROOT SKIN SMOOTHNESS |
Very smooth |
|
ROOT TASTE/BRIX (SUGAR CONTENT) |
Mildly sweet, average BRIX (8 – 10%) |
|
TAPROOT APPEARANCE |
Short, thin and refined |
|
TOP/FOLIAGE HEIGHT |
Medium tall, 30-35cm |
|
LEAF/FOLIAGE HEALTH AND HABIT |
Upright/erect |
|
LEAF/FOLIAGE COLOUR AND GLOSS |
Dark green and medium gloss |
|
PERCENTAGE LEAF PURPLING |
Very low |
|
CROWN SIZE |
Small |
|
LEAF ATTACHMENT (SIZE AND STRENGTH) |
Small and average |
|
BOLTING REACTION |
Very slow to bolt – high tolerance |
|
DISEASE RESISTANCE (SCIENTIFIC) |
Intermediate resistance: Cercospora beticola (Cb), Peronospora farinosa f.sp. betae (Pfb), Erysiphe polygoni (Ep) |
|
SUGGESTED SOWING DENSITY |
Density depends on the season, sprout count, size requirement of the roots and the target market/uses of the final product, however we suggest: Pre-pack beetroot: 350 000 - 550 000 seeds per hectare Processing/larger beetroot: 250 000 – 350 000 seeds per hectare Baby beetroot: 900 000 – 1 200 000 seed per hectare |
|
MARKET USES |
Fresh market, processing, pre-packing and baby beet |
|
SPECIAL FEATURES, BENEFITS AND REMARKS |
High yield potential with excellent foliar disease resistance, well suited for baby beet production. Seed is available in a range of different seed sizes. |