Mainly scales notation

Glossary ARVALIS / BBCH / IOWA

Scale commonly used in France and by ARVALIS

Leaf stage determination Leaf stage is determined by counting either visible leaves or
leaves unfolded or collared
Leaves visible or leaves tip: we call visible leaves all leaves and portions of
Scales of

corn
limb that can be seen when one places one's eyes at the level of the whorl
and that we look horizontally.
Collar or ligulate leaves: a leaf is counted as deployed or ligated when the
The last leaf is ligular zone(collar) is visible on the stem.
which emerges within
the whorl

stages
= leaf tip
Leaf collar =
leaf unfolded BBCH scale
with collar The principle of this scale is the division of the development phases into
10 principal stages numbered from 0 to 9, themselves divided into
secondary stage(= 2nd digit)
principal stage 0 = germination, emergence
First leaf is rounded
at this end • 00 = dry seed ------09 = Emergence; the coleoptile penetrate soil surface
principal stage 1 = leaf development
• 10 = the first leaf through the coleoptile
7 LEAVES TIP STAGE
• 11 = first leaf unfolded -------- 19 = 9 or more unfolded leaves
V4 STAGE (IOWA LEAF COLLAR METHOD) principal stage 3 = stem elongation
6 UNFOLDED LEAVES STAGE (BBCH METHOD) • 30 = beginning of stem elongation
• 31 = the first node is detectable------ 39 = 9 or more nodes are detectable
principal stage 5 = tassel or ear emergence
principal stage 6 = flowering, anthesis
principal stage 7 = kernel development
principal stage 8 = kernel ripening
principal stage 9 = senescence
Blade =
enlarged and Note : stages 2 and 4 do not concern maize.
spread part of the leaf
Caution: in the BBCH scale, a leaf is counted when unfolded.
Collar = A leaf is unfolded if its ligule is visible or if the tip of the next leaf is visible.
part between sheath
and blade
Ligule = Scale of IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
Sheath = membrane located This method divides the development cycle into two major phases:
part of leaf at the joint of the
around the stalk leaf blade the vegetative stage:
and the sheath • VE = emergence
• V1 = first leaf
• V2 = second leaf *, etc -------
Node • VT = unfolded tassel (regardless of whether or not pollen is produced)
Design / © Photo : AGPM-GIE - 01/2018

the reproductive stage:

• R1 = silking
• R2 to R6 = different stages of grain maturation
* With this method, the leaf is counted when the collar is visible
= Leaf collar method

A field is at stage when 50% of plant have

the corresponding development level
ARVALISa Emer- 1 4 6 7 8 n Tassel Tasseling Silking Beginning Milk kernel Soft pasty Hard pasty Physiological Complete
gence visible visible visible visible visible visible apparition of kernel growth kernel kernel* maturity maturity
leaf leaves leaves leaves leaves leaves black layer
= Beginning = 1st silks Kernel Kernel Kernel Kernel Kernel Kernel
of pollen extending moisture moisture moisture moisture moisture moisture
production outside the 85% 80-60% 55% 50% 35-32% 30-25%
husk leaves
IOWAb VE V1 V3 V4 V5 Vn VT R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6
Emergence 1 collar leaf 3 collar 4 collar 5 collar n collar Tasseling Silking Blister Milk Dough Dent Physiological
leaves leaves leaves leaves moisture moisture maturity
70-60% 60-40% black layer

BBCH c 09 10 13 15 16 17 1n 53 63 63 71 73 75 83 85 87 89-99
Emer- First leaf 3 unfolded 5 unfolded 6 unfolded 7 unfolded n unfolded Tip of tassel Beginning Tips of Beginning Early milk Kernel Early dough, Dough stage, Physiological Fully ripe -
gence through leaves leaves leaves leaves leaves visible of pollen stigmata of kernel content milky, about 45% about 55% maturity harvested
coleoptile or 3x shedding visible growth about 40% dry matter dry matter black layer product
x nodes dry matter
detectable

The coleoptile appears Passage Floral transition Flowering-fertilization Development

overground.
The seedling lives on
the reserves of the seed.
Heterotrophic phase
to autotrophic About 50% visible leaves The pollen grains released
state fall on the emerging silks,
emit a pollen tube
that migrates to the ovule
D Exponential phase Kernel Grain growth The kernel weight is
of the albumen of grain filling decrease at its maximum value
cells

VEGETATIVE PHASE FORMATION PHASE OF REPRODUCTIVE ORGANE KERNEL MATURITY AND DEVELOPMENT PHASE

a - By Tollenaar and coll, 1979. Effect of temperature on rate of leaf appearance

and flowering date in maize. Crop Sci.19 : 363-366.
b - Abendroth, L.J., R.W. Elmore, M.J. Boyer, and S.K. Marlay. 2011. Corn growth and development.
PMR 1009. Iowa State University Extension, Ames, Iowa.
c - Hack and al., 1992 and Meir, 2001. BBCH Monograph Growth stages of mono-and dicotyledonous plants.
*Silage stage: 32-35 % of dry matter whole plant