BBCH-scale (bean)

In biology, the BBCH-scale for beans describes the phenological development of bean plants using the BBCH-scale.

The phenological growth stages and BBCH-identification keys of bean are:

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
	08	Hypocotyl reaches the soil surface; hypocotyl arch visible
	09	Emergence: hypocotyl with cotyledons break through soil surface ("cracking stage")
1: Leaf development	10	Cotyledons completely unfolded
	12	2 full leaves (first leaf pair unfolded)
	13	3rd true leaf (first trifoliate leaf) unfolded
	1 .	Stages continuous till ...
	19	9 or more leaves (2 full leaves, 7 or more trifoliate) unfolded
2: Formation of side shoots	21	First side shoot visible
	22	2nd side shoot visible
	23	3rd side shoot visible
	2 .	Stages continuous till ...
	29	9 or more side shoots visible
5: Inflorescence emergence	51	First flower buds visible
	55	First flower buds enlarged
	59	First petals visible, flowers still closed
6: Flowering	60	First flowers open (sporadically within the population)
	61	Beginning of flowering: 10% of flowers open^1 Beginning of flowering^2
	62	20% of flowers open^1
	63	30% of flowers open^1
	64	40% of flowers open^1
	65	Full flowering: 50% of flowers open^1 Main flowering period^2
	67	Flowering finishing: majority of petals fallen or dry1
	69	End of flowering: first pods visible^1
7: Development of fruit	71	10% of pods have reached typical length^1 Beginning of pot development^2
	72	20% of pods have reached typical length^1
	73	30% of pods have reached typical length^1
	74	40% of pods have reached typical length^1
	75	50% of pods have reached typical length, beans beginning to fill out^1 Main pod development period^2
	76	60% of pods have reached typical length^1
	77	70% of pods have reached typical length, pods still break cleanly^1
	78	80% of pods have reached typical length^1
	79	Pods: individual beans easily visible^1
8: Ripening of fruit and seed	81	10% of pods ripe (beans hard)1 Seeds beginning to mature^2
	82	20% of pods ripe (beans hard)^1
	83	30% of pods ripe (beans hard)^1
	84	40% of pods ripe (beans hard)^1
	85	50% of pods ripe (beans hard)^1 Main period of ripening2
	86	60% of pods ripe (beans hard)^1
	87	70% of pods ripe (beans hard)^1
	88	80% of pods ripe (beans hard)^1
	89	Fully ripe: pods ripe (beans hard)^1
9: Senescence	97	Plants dead
	99	Harvested product

1 For varieties with limited flowering period
2 For varieties in which the flowering period is not limited

References

• Feller, C.; H. Bleiholder; L. Buhr; H. Hack; M. Hess; R. Klose; U. Meier; R. Stauss; T. van den Boom; E. Weber (1995). "Phänologische Entwicklungsstadien von Gemüsepflanzen: II. Fruchtgemüse und Hülsenfrüchte. Nachrichtenbl. Deut". Pflanzenschutzd. 47: 217–232.