AgricultureID

Cultivar · Potato cultivar

Kennebec

Kennebec is a white-fleshed American maincrop potato released by the USDA in 1948, a widely adapted, general-purpose variety used for the table and for processing.

Dated referenceLast reviewed: 2026-07-12Updated: 2026-07-12
Illustrative diagram · AgricultureID (original)

Record

Cultivar / variety
Variety of
Potato
Botanical taxon
Solanum tuberosum
Type
Cultivar
Breeding method
Cross-breeding
Origin
United States (USDA potato-breeding programme), United States
Released
1948
Breeder / institution
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Registry status
Historical · as of 2026-07-12
Registries
Adaptation
A temperate maincrop grown as a cool-season crop like potato generally; sensitive to frost and to heat during tuber bulking. Grown on the loose, well-drained soils preferred by potato generally; no unusual soil requirement is documented here.
Intended use
Table, Chips / French fries, Processing

Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.

Kennebec is a maincrop potato developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and released in 1948. It takes its name from the Kennebec River region of Maine. The variety became widely grown in North America as a dependable, general-purpose potato.

The tubers have smooth buff skin with shallow eyes and white flesh, with a general-purpose cooking character. Kennebec is used both fresh and for processing, including chips and fries.

Background and identity

Kennebec was produced by cross-breeding in the USDA potato programme and released in 1948. Its wide adaptation and general-purpose quality made it a long-standing commercial and garden variety in North America.

Flesh colour
White
Skin
Smooth buff with shallow eyes
Cooking character
General-purpose; used fresh and for processing

Cultivation and use

As a maincrop it is grown as a cool-season crop like potato generally and is lifted after the haulm has died down. It is used both as a table potato and for processing into chips and fries. Cooking performance and agronomic behaviour vary with region, season, and storage.

Relationships

Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.

Adapted to climate

Adapted to soil

Scope & limitations

Geographic scope: Best documented in North American production; also grown elsewhere. Culinary and agronomic behaviour is region- and season-specific.

Climate context: Temperate cool-season maincrop.

  • Cooking and agronomic behaviour is region- and season-specific and varies with storage.
  • Germplasm is held in genebanks; this is not a statement of commercial availability or of registration in any particular jurisdiction.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]GRIN-Global / National Plant Germplasm System (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Solanum tuberosum classification and U.S. germplasm/accession context

    Type:
    Official registry
    Jurisdiction:
    United States / Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]USDA ARS — Agricultural Research Service (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: USDA potato variety release and research

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  3. [3]Encyclopaedia Britannica (opens in a new tab)

    Encyclopaedia Britannica

    Moderate

    Cited for: General background on the variety (secondary)

    Type:
    Reference database
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12

Related topics

Crops