Abstract

The present study aimed to characterise and establish the phenological stages of arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L.) by employing the extended BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie) scale system and reporting a detailed biometric evaluation. An experiment with individual plants grown in separate pots was set up in a greenhouse for the identification and characterisation of phenological stages (the phenotypic characterisation and tuberisation process was accompanied by histological analyses every 2 months) and for biometric evaluation (plant height, root volume, dry biomass, leaf area and accumulated starch). We identified 36 secondary stages within eight principal stages of arrowroot growth which comprise: (0) sprouting; (1) leaf development-main stem; (2) formation of lateral stems; (3) elongation-main stem; (4) rhizome formation and tuberisation; (5) inflorescence emergence; (6) flowering, and (9) senescence. Results were categorised and recorded by way of photographs and technical drawings. The total growth cycle in this experiment was 230 days, concluding at the point of harvest. It was possible to observe the phenological events that characterised the changes at each stage (colouration, flag leaf emission, inflorescence and the rhizome tuberisation process). The BBCH system was efficient in identifying arrowroot phenological data. It constitutes a tool for agricultural calendar delineation and contributes to the standardisation of research on the species.