Growth Phases in Plants and their Bearing on Agronomy

Abstract

SUMMARYFuture research in agronomy will doubtless lay stress on the efficient use of inputs by applying them during the most appropriate development phases of the plant, and by modifying those phases, which in some cases can now be well defined. The plant can often be influenced or stimulated well before the effect commences, storing the stimulus for the future, and the terms ‘Receptive Phase’ and ‘Responsive Phase’ are proposed to describe these stages. To apply research most effectively, receptive phases should be delimited and linked with responsive phases in a way convenient for the agronomist. Schematic diagrams can be prepared relating growth phases to field appearance, as is illustrated by examples based on cotton, rice, maize and apple.