Weekly Research Updates
Phenophases in Elephant Foot Yam
Elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson) is a tropical tuber crop that is primarily cultivated for its edible corm. Eight primary growth stages of elephant foot yam, such as germination (stage 0), leaf/pseudo stem development (stage 1), tuber development (stage 4), inflorescence emergence (stage 5), flowering (stage 6), fruit growth (stage 7), fruit maturity (stage 8), and senescence (stage 9) have been specifically identified. The phenological development pattern of various phenophases has been used to characterise the sequential evolution of key growth stages. Due to the relative significance of phenophases in crop improvement and management, the BBCH scale will help to provide a standardised method to assist agronomists, breeders, germplasm curators, and researchers in effectively managing, developing, and conserving the genetic resources of this new crop.
