Growth and phenological stages of Búlida apricot trees in south-east Spain

Summary The different phenological stages of mature apricot trees (Prunus armeniaca L., cv. Búlida), drip irrigated and grown under typical Mediterranean conditions are described using the traditional nomenclature of Baggiolini and according to the BBCH General Scale. The predominant dates of each stage are indicated in days and as the number of accumulated growing degree hours (GDH). When the annual pattern of root, shoot and fruit growth was studied, alternating root and shoot growth was evident, and also a relative separation between the main periods of shoot and fruit growth, which is an advantageous characteristic when applying deficit irrigation. This study will improve apricot culture by expressing the timing of most agricultural operations on a standardised scale.