The BBCH-scale for root and stem vegetables identifies the phenological development stages of the root and stem vegetables such as carrot, celeriac, kohlrabi, chicory, radish and swede, using the BBCH-scale.
Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate, as well as habitat factors. The word, coined by the Belgian botanist Charles Morren around 1849, is derived from the Greek φαίνω (phainō), "to show, to bring to light, make to appear" + λόγος (logos), amongst others "study, discourse, reasoning" and indicates that phenology has been principally concerned with the dates of first occurrence of biological events in their annual cycle. Examples include the date of emergence of leaves and flowers, the first flight of butterflies and the first appearance of migratory birds, the date of leaf colouring and fall in deciduous trees, the dates of egg-laying of birds and amphibia, or the timing of the developmental cycles of temperate-zone honey bee colonies. In the scientific literature on ecology, the term is used more generally to indicate the time frame for any seasonal biological phenomena, including the dates of last appearance.
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist. Carrots are a domesticated form of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Persia and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. The most commonly eaten part of the plant is the taproot, although the stems and leaves are eaten as well. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged, more palatable, less woody-textured taproot.
Celeriac, also called turnip-rooted celery, celery root, or knob celery, is a variety of celery cultivated for its edible stem or hypocotyl, and shoots. Despite its name, it is not a close relative of the turnip. Celeriac is like a root vegetable except it has a bulbous hypocotyl with many small roots attached.
| Growth stage | Code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0: Germination | 00 | Dry seed |
| 01 | Beginning of seed imbibition | |
| 03 | Seed imbibition complete | |
| 05 | Radicle emerged from seed | |
| 07 | Hypocotyl with cotyledons breaking through seed coat | |
| 09 | Emergence: cotyledons break through soil surface | |
| 1: Leaf development (Main shoot) | 10 | Cotyledons completely unfolded; growing point or true leaf initial visible |
| 11 | First true leaf unfolded | |
| 12 | 2nd true leaf unfolded | |
| 13 | 3rd true leaf unfolded | |
| 1 . | Stages continuous till . . . | |
| 19 | 9 or more true leaves unfolded | |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 41 | Roots beginning to expand (diameter > 0,5 cm) |
| 42 | 20% of the expected root diameter reached | |
| 43 | 30% of the expected root diameter reached | |
| 44 | 40% of the expected root diameter reached | |
| 45 | 50% of the expected root diameter reached | |
| 46 | 60% of the expected root diameter reached | |
| 47 | 70% of the expected root diameter reached | |
| 48 | 80% of the expected root diameter reached | |
| 49 | Expansion complete; typical form and size of roots reached | |
| 5: Inflorescence emergence | 51 | Main shoot begins to elongate |
| 53 | 30% of the expected height of the main shoot reached | |
| 55 | First individual flowers of main inflorescence visible (still closed) | |
| 57 | First individual flowers of secondary inflorescences visible (still closed) | |
| 59 | First flower petals visible; flowers still closed | |
| 6: Flowering | 60 | First flowers open (sporadically) |
| 61 | Beginning of flowering: 10% of flowers open | |
| 62 | 20% of flowers open | |
| 63 | 30% of flowers open | |
| 64 | 40% of flowers open | |
| 65 | Full flowering: 50% of flowers open | |
| 67 | Flowering finishing: majority of petals fallen or dry | |
| 69 | End of flowering | |
| 7: Development of fruit | 71 | First fruits formed |
| 72 | 20% of fruits have reached typical size | |
| 73 | 30% of fruits have reached typical size | |
| 74 | 40% of fruits have reached typical size | |
| 75 | 50% of fruits have reached typical size | |
| 76 | 60% of fruits have reached typical size | |
| 77 | 70% of fruits have reached typical size | |
| 78 | 80% of fruits have reached typical size | |
| 79 | Fruits have reached typical size | |
| 8: Rispening of fruit and seed | 81 | Beginning of ripening: 10% of fruits ripe, or 10% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 85 | 50% of the fruits ripe, or 50% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard | |
| 89 | Fully ripe: seeds on the whole plant of typical colour and hard | |
| 9: Senescence | 92 | Leaves and shoots beginning to discolour |
| 95 | 50% of leaves yellow or dead | |
| 97 | Plants or above ground parts dead | |
| 99 | Harvested product (seeds) |