In biology, the BBCH-scale for pome fruit describes the phenological development of fruits such as apples and pears using the BBCH-scale.
The phenological growth stages and BBCH-identification keys of pome fruit are:
| Growth stage | Code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0: Sprouting/Bud development | 00 | Dormancy: leaf buds and the thicker inflorescence buds closed and covered by dark brown scales |
| 01 | Beginning of leaf bud swelling: buds visibly swollen, bud scales elongated, with light coloured patches | |
| 03 | End of leaf bud swelling: bud scales light coloured with some parts densely covered by hairs | |
| 07 | Beginning of bud break: first green leaf tips just visible | |
| 09 | Green leaf tips about 5 mm above bud scales | |
| 1: Leaf development | 10 | Mouse-ear stage: Green leaf tips 10 mm above the bud scales; first leaves separating |
| 11 | First leaves unfolded (others still unfolding) | |
| 15 | More leaves unfolded, not yet at full size | |
| 19 | First leaves fully expanded | |
| 3: Shoot development1 | 31 | Beginning of shoot growth: axes of developing shoots visible |
| 32 | Shoots about 20% of final length | |
| 33 | Shoots about 30% of final length | |
| 3 . | Stages continuous till ... | |
| 39 | Shoots about 90% of final length | |
| 5: Inflorescence emergence | 51 | Inflorescence buds swelling: bud scales elongated, with light coloured patches |
| 52 | End of bud swelling: light coloured bud scales visible with parts densely covered by hairs | |
| 53 | Bud burst: green leaf tips enclosing flowers visible | |
| 54 | Mouse-ear stage: green leaf tips 10 mm above bud scales; first leaves separating | |
| 55 | Flower buds visible (still closed) | |
| 56 | Green bud stage: single flowers separating (still closed) | |
| 57 | Pink bud stage: flower petals elongating; sepals slightly open; petals just visible | |
| 59 | Most flowers with petals forming a hollow ball | |
| 6: Flowering | 60 | First flowers open |
| 61 | Beginning of flowering: about 10% of flowers open | |
| 62 | About 20% of flowers open | |
| 63 | About 30% of flowers open | |
| 64 | About 40% of flowers open | |
| 65 | Full flowering: at least 50% of flowers open, first petals falling | |
| 67 | Flowers fading: majority of petals fallen | |
| 69 | End of flowering: all petals fallen | |
| 7: Development of fruit | 71 | Fruit size up to 10 mm; fruit fall after flowering |
| 72 | Fruit size up to 20 mm | |
| 73 | Second fruit fall | |
| 74 | Fruit diameter up to 40 mm; fruit erect (T-stage: underside of fruit and stalk forming a T) | |
| 75 | Fruit about half final size | |
| 76 | Fruit about 60% final size | |
| 77 | Fruit about 70% final size | |
| 78 | Fruit about 80% final size | |
| 79 | Fruit about 90% final size | |
| 8: Maturity of fruit and seed | 81 | Beginning of ripening: first appearance of cultivar-specific colour |
| 85 | Advanced ripening: increase in intensity of cultivar-specific colour | |
| 87 | Fruit ripe for picking | |
| 89 | Fruit ripe for consumption: fruit have typical taste and firmness | |
| 9: Senescence, beginning of dormancy | 91 | Shoot growth completed; terminal bud developed; foliage still fully green |
| 92 | Leaves begin to discolour | |
| 93 | Beginning of leaf fall | |
| 95 | 50% of leaves discoloured | |
| 97 | All leaves fallen | |
| 99 | Harvested product |
1 From terminal bud