In short
Wheat growth is described by the BBCH scale as ten principal stages, numbered 0 to 9, from germination to senescence, and a second digit that counts progress inside each stage.
Heading starts at code 51, full flowering is 65 and hard dough is 87. Planva carries BBCH phenophases in its reference catalogues, so stages can be written down with the same codes your agronomist uses.
What the BBCH scale is
The BBCH Monograph, second edition 2001, edited by Uwe Meier, defines a uniform two-digit code for the growth stages of crops and weeds. It was drawn up jointly by German federal research and plant variety offices and the German agrochemical association. For cereals, the key follows Witzenberger et al. 1989 and Lancashire et al. 1991 and covers wheat, barley, oat and rye.
The ten principal stages
| Principal stage | Name | Codes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Germination | 00 to 09 |
| 1 | Leaf development | 10 to 19 |
| 2 | Tillering | 20 to 29 |
| 3 | Stem elongation | 30 to 39 |
| 4 | Booting | 41 to 49 |
| 5 | Heading | 51 to 59 |
| 6 | Flowering | 61 to 69 |
| 7 | Development of grain | 71 to 77 |
| 8 | Ripening | 83 to 89 |
| 9 | Senescence | 92 to 99 |
Key codes for wheat
| Code | Description in the monograph |
|---|---|
| 09 | Emergence: the coleoptile penetrates the soil surface |
| 13 | Three leaves unfolded |
| 21 | Beginning of tillering: first tiller detectable |
| 29 | End of tillering: maximum number of tillers detectable |
| 30 | Beginning of stem elongation: top of the inflorescence at least 1 cm above the tillering node |
| 31 | First node at least 1 cm above the tillering node |
| 39 | Flag leaf stage: flag leaf fully unrolled, ligule just visible |
| 45 | Late boot stage: flag leaf sheath swollen |
| 51 | Beginning of heading: tip of the inflorescence emerged from the sheath |
| 59 | End of heading: inflorescence fully emerged |
| 61 | Beginning of flowering: first anthers visible |
| 65 | Full flowering: half of the anthers mature |
| 75 | Medium milk: grain content milky, grains at final size, still green |
| 87 | Hard dough: grain content solid, fingernail impression held |
| 89 | Fully ripe: grain hard, difficult to divide with a thumbnail |
| 92 | Over-ripe: grain very hard, cannot be dented by a thumbnail |
Three rules from the monograph
- A leaf counts as unfolded when its ligule is visible or the tip of the next leaf is visible.
- Tillers are counted by the second digit. Code 23 is three tillers detectable, up to 29 for the maximum.
- Stages can overlap. If stem elongation begins before tillering ends, the monograph continues with code 30.
Why write down stages
A date without a stage is a date you cannot compare. If you record when a field reached 31, 51 and 65, you can set one season against the next and against the work done in between. Sowing-date sources also use stage language: one agroclimatic study from Kazakhstan targets three to five tillers at winter dormancy. If tillers are counted the way the monograph does, that would be codes 23 to 25, but the mapping is ours and the study may count differently. See winter wheat sowing dates.
How this works in Planva
- BBCH phenophases. They sit in the reference catalogues, next to work types and units.
- Inspections. Templates, inspection tasks and phytosanitary reports with diseases, pests, weeds and photos.
- Season record. Crop rotation holds crop, variety, sowing and harvest dates, yield and total harvest.
- What it does not do. Planva records the stage and the findings. It does not recommend treatments.
For records that survive a change of staff, see the field history guide.
Sources
Common questions
The BBCH scale has ten principal stages: germination, leaf development, tillering, stem elongation, booting, heading, flowering, grain development, ripening and senescence. They are numbered 0 to 9.
The real Planva interface, shown with test data.
