BBCH-scale (citrus)
{{Short description|Scale to describe growth of citrus plants}}
{{one source|date=July 2023}}
The BBCH-scale for citrus is a classification system used in biology to describe the phenological development of citrus plants using the BBCH-scale.
The phenological growth stages and BBCH-identification keys of citrus plants are:
| class="wikitable" style="clear"
!Growth stage!!Code!!Description | |
| rowspan="5" style="vertical-align:top"|0: Sprouting/Bud development
|00 | Dormancy: leaf and inflorescence buds undifferentiated, closed and covered by green scales |
| 01 | Beginning of bud swelling |
| 03 | End of bud swelling: green scales slightly separated |
| 07 | Beginning of bud burst |
| 09 | Green leaf tips visible |
| rowspan="4" style="vertical-align:top"|1: Leaf development
|10 | First leaves separating: green scales slightly open, leaves emerging |
| 11 | First leaves visibleIn Citrus the term "visible" replaces "unfolded" used for other fruit species. Leaf unfolding takes place precociously in citrus. |
| 15 | More leaves visible, not yet at full size |
| 19 | First leaves fully expanded |
| rowspan="3" style="vertical-align:top"|3: Shoot development
|31 | Beginning of shoot growth: axes of developing shoots visible |
| 32 | Shoots about 20% of final length |
| 39 | Shoots about 90% of final length |
| rowspan="6" style="vertical-align:top"|5: Inflorescence emergence
|51 | Inflorescence buds swelling: buds closed, light green scales visible |
| 53 | Bud burst: scales separated, floral tips visible |
| 55 | Flowers visible, still closed (green bud), borne on single or multiflowered leafy or leafless inflorescences |
| 56 | Flower petals elongating; sepals covering half corolla (white bud) |
| 57 | Sepals open: petal tips visible; flowers with white or purplish petals, still closed |
| 59 | Most flowers with petals forming a hollow ball |
| rowspan="5" style="vertical-align:top"|6: Flowering
|60 | First flowers open |
| 61 | Beginning of flowering: about 10% of flowers open |
| 65 | Full flowering: 50% of flowers open; first petals falling |
| 67 | Flowers fading: majority of petals fallen |
| 69 | End of flowering: all petals fallen |
| rowspan="5" style="vertical-align:top"|7: Development of fruit
|71 | Fruit set; beginning of ovary growth; beginning of fruitlets abscission |
| 72 | Green fruit surrounded by sepal crown |
| 73 | Some fruits slightly yellow: beginning of physiological fruit drop |
| 74 | Fruits about 40% of final size. Dark green fruit: end of physiological fruit drop |
| 79 | Fruits about 90% of final size |
| rowspan="4" style="vertical-align:top"|8: Maturity of fruit
|81 | Beginning of fruit colouring (colour-break) |
| 83 | Fruit ripe for picking; fruit has not yet developed variety-specific colour |
| 85 | Advanced ripening; increase in intensity of variety-specific colour |
| 89 | Fruit ripe for consumption; fruit has typical taste and firmness; beginning of senescence and fruit abscission |
| rowspan="3" style="vertical-align:top"|9: Senescence, beginning of dormancy
|91 | Shoot growth complete; foliage fully green |
| 93 | Beginning of senescence and abscission of old leaves |
| 97 | Winter dormancy period |
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite journal
| last = Agusti
| first = M.
|author2=S. Zaragoza |author3=H. Bleiholder |author4=L. Buhr |author5=H. Hack |author6=R. Klose |author7=R. Stauss
| title = Escala BBCH para la descripción de los estadios fenológicos del desarrollo de los agrios (Gén. Citrus)
| journal = Levante Agricola
| volume = 3
| pages = 189–199
| date = 1995
}}