Abbreviation for "Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie". The BBCH code or the BBCH scale provides information on the morphological development stage in the vegetation cycle of a plant and is used in scientific communication to answer questions on plant development and the optimum or recommended time of application of fertiliser and plant protection measures in crop cultivation. Each of the ten main stages is subdivided into ten substages. As early as 1977, Dr K. W. Eichhorn and Dr H. Lorenz developed a system that described the development of the grapevine from winter dormancy to leaf fall in 47 stages. This system was then converted into the BBCH code in 1994. The ten main BBCH stages are ( vine in brackets):
BBCH main stages
- 00-09 - germination (development of the bud/germination)
- 10-19 - Leaf development (leaf development)
- 20-29 - tillering (does not apply to grapevine)
- 30-39 - Shooting (not applicable to grapevine)
- 40-49 - ear swelling (does not apply to grapevine)
- 50-59 - ear emergence (formation of the shoots)
- 60-69 - Flowering
- 70-79 - Fruit development (fruit development)
- 80-89 - seed ripening (ripening of the berries)
- 90-99 - Death of annual plants or entry into dormancy of perennial plants
The grapevine-specific development macro-stages in detail are
- 00 - dormancy: winter eyes pointed to round-arched, light to dark brown depending on the grape variety; bud scales more or less closed depending on the grape variety
- 01 - Beginning of bud swelling: eyes begin to enlarge
- 03 - End of bud swelling: buds swollen but not yet green
- 05 - Wool stage: woolly brown hairs clearly visible
- 07 - Beginning of bud burst: green shoot tips become visible
- 09 - Bud burst: green shoot tips clearly visible
- 11 - first leaf unfolds and spreads from the shoot
- 12 - two leaves unfolded
- 13 - three leaves unfolded
- 14-19 - more and more leaves unfolded
5 - Development of the inflorescences
- 53 -Inflorescences clearly visible
- 55 - Inflorescences enlarge; individual flowers are crowded together
- 57 - Inflorescences are fully developed; the individual flowers spread apart
- 60 - First flower caps detach from the base of the flower
- 61 - Beginning of flowering: 10% of the flower heads shed
- 62 - 20% of the flower heads shed
- 63 - Pre-flowering: 30% of the flower heads shed
- 64 - 40% of the flower heads shed
- 65 - Full flowering: 50% of the flower heads shed
- 66 - 60% of the flower heads shed
- 67 - 70% of the flower heads shed
- 68 - 80% of the flower heads shed
- 69 - End of flowering
7 - Fruit development = fruit set
- 71 - Ovaries begin to enlarge; "cleaning of the berries" is completed
- 73 - Berries are the size of a shot grain; bunches begin to descend
- 75 - Berries are the size of peas; clusters droop
- 77 - Beginning of bunch closure
- 79 - End of bunch closure
- 81 - Beginning of ripening, berries begin to brighten (or begin to discolour)
- 83 - Progression of berry lightening (or berry discolouration)
- 85 - Softening of the berries
- 89 - Full ripening of the berries (harvest maturity)
9 - Onset of dormancy = leaf fall
- 91 - After the harvest: Completion of wood ripening
- 92 - Beginning of leaf discolouration
- 93 - Beginning of leaf fall
- 95 - 50% of the leaves have fallen
- 97 - End of leaf fall
- 99 - Harvest / grapes
