Phenological description and thermal time requirement of tamarind (Tamarindus indica) in tropical conditions

Abstract

Tamarind is one of the highly valued fruit trees of the tropical world. Considering the potential of the crop, a precise standardised description of its growth stages and thermal time requirement were studied to ensure efficient agronomic practices. Phenological growth stages of tamarind are defined according to the BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie) scale using a three‐digit numerical system. The phenology of tamarind is characterised by eight principal growth stages: bud growth, leaf growth, shoot growth, inflorescence growth, flower development, fruit growth, fruit maturation and dormancy. Principal growth stages of tamarind are defined and described through 39 secondary growth stages. For each phenological stage, duration and thermal time were also ascertained. It is evident that thermal time for fruit growth and maturation of tamarind is substantially high, whereas inflorescence and leaf require less thermal time to complete their growth. The study could be of great help to tamarind growers and scientists for implementation of efficient agronomic management protocols as well as for assessing the response of critical phenological growth stages to temperature.

Phenological description and thermal time requirements for the seedling phase of three Brazilian native forest species

“…Therefore, the BBCH scale is a standardized tool that provides detailed descriptions of the development stages of three native forest species during their seedling phase. Such standardization can be helpful for research experiments and breeding programmes, in short‐term planning and decision‐making in forest nurseries, such as determining the time to perform silvicultural practices, for example, cover fertilization (Kishore & Mahanti, 2016; F. B. Martins et al, 2022; F. B. Martins, Ferreira, et al, 2023; Morin et al, 2010; Romero‐Marcano et al, 2023; Singh et al, 2021; Zhao et al, 2019) or pest and disease control (Kishore et al, 2022). In this sense, pests such as Saissetia oleae (Oliver) and Coccus viridis (Green) (cochineal), Agrotis ipsilon , Nomophila spp., Spodoptera spp.…”

“…Therefore, the BBCH scale is a standardized tool that provides detailed descriptions of the development stages of three native forest species during their seedling phase. Such standardization can be helpful for research experiments and breeding programmes, in short-term planning and decision-making in forest nurseries, such as determining the time to perform silvicultural practices, for example, cover fertilization (Kishore & Mahanti, 2016;Morin et al, 2010;Romero-Marcano et al, 2023;Singh et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2019) or pest and disease control (Kishore et al, 2022) Junior et al, 2001;Lemes, 2021;Moreira & Arco-Verde, 1998) in abovementioned stages. Furthermore, knowing the seedling phase's phenological stages enables precise calibration and evaluation of development models (Fagundes et al, 2021;2023;.…”

“…(Acosta‐Quezada et al, 2016), Prunus dulcis (Sakar et al, 2019), Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen (Kishore & Mahanti, 2016), Moringa oleifera Lam. (Singh et al, 2021), and Tamarindus indica L. (Kishore et al, 2022) considering development and reproductive growth stages. Studies on the seedling phase are rare, which is the most sensitive and least tolerant phase to climatic conditions and extremes, especially to air temperature variability (Fagundes et al, 2021; F. B. Martins, Ferreira, et al, 2023; Morin et al, 2010; Reis et al, 2021).…”

“…On the contrary, when air temperature is close to Tb or TB of the species, the plants develop slower, and vegetative phenophases are longer (F. B. Martins, Ferreira, et al, 2023). Thus, the accumulation of daily TT (TTa, °C day) provides the thermal requirement necessary to complete a given phenological stage (Kishore et al, 2022). In other words, TTa determines when (the moment) the completion of a particular phenological stage will occur (F. B. Martins, Ferreira, et al, 2023).…”

“…Therefore, the relationship between phenological stages and the thermal requirement of the seedling phase are important steps in predicting (or projecting) phenological events (e.g. emergence, leaf emergence, budding, flowering, fruiting, and ripening), and assessing climate impacts on seedling production (Anzanello & Christo, 2019; Cavalcante et al, 2020; Kishore et al, 2022).…”