The BBCH-scale (solaneous fruit) identifies the phenological development stages of solaneous fruit (tomato = Lycopersicon esculentum, aubergine = Solanum melongena, paprika = Capsicum annuum). It is a plant species specific version of the BBCH-scale.
The tomato is the edible, often red, berry of the nightshade Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as a tomato plant. The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The Spanish encountered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec during the Spanish colonization of the Americas and brought it to Europe. From there, the tomato was introduced to other parts of the European-colonized world during the 16th century.
Paprika is a ground spice made from dried red fruits of the larger and sweeter varieties of the plant Capsicum annuum, called bell pepper or sweet pepper. The most common variety used for making paprika is tomato pepper, sometimes with the addition of more pungent varieties, called chili peppers, and cayenne pepper. In many languages, but not English, the word paprika also refers to the plant and the fruit from which the spice is made.
The BBCH-scale is used to identify the phenological development stages of plants. BBCH-scales have been developed for a range of crop species where similar growth stages of each plant are given the same code.
| Phenological growth stages and BBCH-identification keys of solanaceous fruits | ||
|---|---|---|
| Code (2-digit) | Code (3-digit) | Description |
| Principal growth stage 0: Germination | ||
| 00 | 000 | Dry seeds |
| 01 | 001 | Beginning of seed imbibition |
| 03 | 003 | Seed imbibition complete |
| 05 | 005 | Radicle emerged from seed |
| 07 | 007 | Hypocotyl with cotyledons breaking through seed coat |
| 09 | 009 | Emergence: coryledons break through soil surface |
| Principal growth stage 1: Leaf development | ||
| 10 | 100 | Cotyledons completely unfolded |
| 11 | 101 | First true leaf on main shoot fully unfolded |
| 12 | 102 | 2nd leaf on main shoot unfolded |
| 13 | 103 | 3rd leaf on main shoot unfolded |
| 1 . | 10 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| 19 | 109 | 9 or more leaves on main shoot unfolded |
| Principal growth stage 2: Formation of side shoots1 | ||
| 21 | 201 | First primary apical side shoot visible |
| 22 | 202 | 2nd primary apical side shoot visible |
| 2 . | 20 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| 29 | 209 | 9 or more apical primary side shoots visible |
| – | 221 | First secondary apical side shoot visible |
| – | 22 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| – | 229 | 9th secondary apical side shoot visible |
| – | 231 | First tertiary apical side shoot visible |
| – | 23 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| – | 2NX | Xth apical side shoot of the Nth order visible |
| Principal growth stage 5: Inflorescence emergence | ||
| 51 | 501 | First inflorescence visible (first bud erect)2 First flower bud visible3 |
| 52 | 502 | 2nd inflorescence visible (first bud erect)2 2nd flower bud visible3 |
| 53 | 503 | 3rd inflorescence visible (first bud erect)2 3rd flower bud visible3 |
| 5 . | 50 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| 59 | 509 | 9 or more inflorescences visible (2digit), 9th inflorescence visible(first bud erect) (3digit)2 |
| – | 510 | 10th inflorescence visible (first bud erect)2 10th flower bud visible3 |
| – | 51 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| – | 519 | 19th inflorescence visible (first bud erect)2 19th flower bud visible3 |
| Principal growth stage 6: Flowering | ||
| 61 | 601 | First inflorescence: first flower open2 First flower open3 |
| 62 | 602 | 2nd inflorescence: first flower open2 2nd flower open3 |
| 63 | 603 | 3rd inflorescence: first flower open2 3rd flower open3 |
| 6 . | 60 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| 69 | 609 | 9 or more inflorescences with open flowers (2digit) 9th inflorescence: first flower open (3digit)2 |
| – | 610 | 10th inflorescence: first flower open2 10th flower open3 |
| – | 61 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| – | 619 | 19th inflorescence: first flower open2 19th flower open3 |
| Principal growth stage 7: Development of fruit | ||
| 71 | 701 | First fruit cluster: first fruit has reached typical size2 First fruit has reached typical size and form3 |
| 72 | 702 | 2nd fruit cluster: first fruit has reached typical size2 2nd fruit has reached typical size and form3 |
| 73 | 703 | 3rd fruit cluster: first fruit has reached typical size2 3rd fruit has reached typical size and form3 |
| 7 . | 70 . | Stages continuous till . . . |
| 79 | 709 | 9 or more fruit clusters with fruits of typical size (2digit) 9th fruit cluster:first fruit has reached typical size (3digit)2 |
| – | 710 | 10th fruit cluster: first fruit has reached typical form and size2 10th fruit has reached typical form and size3 |
| – | 71 . | Stages continuous till . . . 19th fruit has reached typical form and size3 |
| – | 719 | 19th fruit cluster: first fruit has reached typical form and size2 |
| Principal growth stage 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | ||
| 81 | 801 | 10% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 82 | 802 | 20% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 83 | 803 | 30% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 84 | 804 | 40% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 85 | 805 | 50% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 86 | 806 | 60% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 87 | 807 | 70% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 88 | 808 | 80% of fruits show typical fully ripe colour |
| 89 | 809 | Fully ripe: fruits have typical fully ripe colour3 |
| Principal growth stage 9: Senescence | ||
| 97 | 907 | Plants dead |
| 99 | 909 | Harvested product |
1 For tomatoes with determinate stem growth, paprika and aubergines. In tomatoes with indeterminate stem growth and only one sympodial branch at the corresponding axis, the apical side shoot formation occurs concurrently with the emergence of the inflorescence (Principal growth stage 5), so that the coding within principal growth stage 2 is not necessary
2 For tomato
3 For paprika and aubergine
Tomato and potato cultivars are commonly classified as determinate or indeterminate according to the amount of time that they produce new leaves and flowers. Varieties that produce few leaves and flowers over a shorter period are classed as determinate and those that produce new leaves and flowers for longer are classed as indeterminate.