Phenological growth stages of Pitanga (Eugenia unifl ora L.) according to the BBCH scale.

Abstract

This research studied the phenological growth and development stages of Eugenia unifl ora L., a native South American species whose berries have economic relevance in markets linked to family farmers in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Data were collected from a plantation of this species growing in the experimental fi eld of the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina. S 31o23 ́59”; W 60o53’58”). We adapted the BBCH-scale for E. unifl ora, and the phenological stages were coded using two digits; the fi rst corresponding to the principal growth stages, and the second corresponding to the secondary growth stage, within the principal. Eight principal growth and development stages were recognized starting with vegetative and fl ower bud development (stage 0). The following three of them were assigned to the vegetative growth, which described leaf development on shoots (stage 1), shoot elongation (stage 3) and winter growth cessation (stage 9). The last four principal growth stages describe fl ower emergence (stage 5), fl owering (stage 6), fruit development (stage 7) and maturity (stage 8).