CropID Crop NameTBase MaxGDD

1 Maize 10 2700
2 Wheat (S) 5.5 1550
3 Wheat (W) 5.5 2200
4 Sugarcane 12
5 Sorghum 10 1950
6 Potatoes 8 1200
7 Peanuts 10 1600
8 Cotton 15.5 1300
9 Tobacco 10
10 Lucerne 5 660
11 Soya 10 1930
CycleIDCropID CycleName StartingGDDDurationGDD Known Issues Description
1 1 Emergence 0 110 Damage due to leaf abration from wind blown dust
2 1 V1 to V2 110 150 Damage due to leaf abration from wind blown dust
3 1 V3 to V5 260 170 Flooding with high temperatures - growing point still below surface
4 1 V6 to V8 430 230 Damage from hail, frost or high winds - growth point above surface
5 1 V9 to V11 660 110 Nutrients and water are in great demand to meet the needs of an increased growth rate
6 1 V12 to V17 770 330 Pollenation occurs and this requires careful moisture management to optimise crop yield
7 1 V18 to VT 1100 130 Hail causes extreme crop damage and moisture management is critical
8 1 R1 Silking 1230 270 Moisture management is crucial and freezing temperatures cause major damage
9 1 R2 Blister 1500 170 Moisture management is crucial and freezing temperatures cause major damage
10 1 R3 Milk 1670 130 Moisture management is crucial and freezing temperatures cause major damage
11 1 R4 Dough 1800 260 Moisture management is important, but not cricual and freezing temperatures cause major damage
12 1 R5 Dent 2060 490 Moisture management is important, but not cricual and freezing temperatures cause major damage
13 1 R6 Maturity 2550 150 Moisture management is important and harvest has to be planned for rain free days
14 2 Germination 0 40 Germination optimal temperature being from 12° to 25°C with appropriate water supply Imbibition of water into the seed and the development of first root structures
15 2 Emergence 40 270 Damage due to leaf abration from wind blown dust and management of N and P in soil content Growth or early roots and first 3-4 leaves
16 2 Tillering 310 240 Weed control to ensure maximum uptake of available resources by wheat and insect management to optimise tillering Secondary crown root formation, and growth of tillers that can lead to supplemental plant production
17 2 Elongation 550 250 Water management is crucial for optimal formation of heads during the subequent development of the crop The internode region elongates to produce a long stiff stem that will carry the head
18 2 Booting 800 90 Final stage for the application of herbicides to remove foreign plant species The developing head within the sheath of the flag leaf becomes visibly enlarged during the booting stage
19 2 Heading 890 110 Determine fungicide application for remainder of crop stages The heading stage extends from the time of emergence of the tip of the head from the flag leaf complete emergence
20 2 Flowering 1000 200 Irigation management at its most critical in determining the eventual crop yield Beginning to the end of the flowering period - pollination and fertilization occur during this period
21 2 Milk 1200 100 Irigation management at its most critical in determining the eventual crop yield Early kernel formation occurs during the milk stage and kernel size increases rapidly during this stage
22 2 Dough 1300 100 Irigation management at its most critical in determining the eventual crop yield Transport of nutrients from the plant to the developing seed is completed by the end of the dough stage
23 2 Ripening 1400 150 Moisture management is important and harvest has to be planned for rain free days The seed loses moisture, and any dormancy it may have had, during the ripening stage
24 3 Germination 0 60 Germination optimal temperature being from 12° to 25°C with appropriate water supply Imbibition of wter into the seed and the development of first root structures
25 3 Emergence 60 380 Damage due to leaf abration from wind blown dust and management of N and P in soil content Growth or early roots and first 3-4 leaves
26 3 Tillering 440 340 Weed control to ensure maximum uptake of available resources by wheat and insect management to optimise tillering Secondary crown root formation, and growth of tillers that can lead to supplemental plant production
27 3 Jointing 780 360 Water management is crucial for optimal formation of heads during the subequent development of the crop The internode region elongates to produce a long stiff stem that will carry the head
28 3 Booting 1140 120 Final stage for the application of herbicides to remove foreign plant species The developing head within the sheath of the flag leaf becomes visibly enlarged during the booting stage
29 3 Heading 1260 160 Determine fungicide application for remainder of crop stages The heading stage extends from the time of emergence of the tip of the head from the flag leaf complete emergence
30 3 Flowering 1420 280 Irigation management at its most critical in determining the eventual crop yield Beginning to the end of the flowering period - pollination and fertilization occur during this period
31 3 Milk 1700 145 Irigation management at its most critical in determining the eventual crop yield Early kernel formation occurs during the milk stage and kernel size increases rapidly during this stage
32 3 Dough 1845 135 Irigation management at its most critical in determining the eventual crop yield Transport of nutrients from the plant to the developing seed is completed by the end of the dough stage
33 3 Ripening 1980 220 Moisture management is important and harvest has to be planned for rain free days The seed loses moisture, and any dormancy it may have had, during the ripening stage
34 4 Germination 0
35 4 Seedling
36 4 Tillering
37 4 Elongation
38 4 Ripening
39 5 Emergence 0 55 Disease organisms are favored by cool, wet conditions and such infestations would result in reduced stands
40 5 Thee-leaf 55 130 Great dependence upon temperature to ensure that plant grow rapidly at this stage and focus on weed control
41 5 Five-leaf 185 385 Stresses from weed competition, nutrients, water, or insects can dramatically reduce yields if not corrected
42 5 Growing Point 570 180 Nutrient uptake is rapid and adequate supplies of nutrients and water are necessary to provide maximum growth
43 5 Flag Leaf 750 190 At this point all except the final 3 to 4 leaves are fully expanded representing approximately 80% of the total leaf area potential
44 5 Booting 940 160 Stress from lack of moisture or herbicide injury may prevent full head from exerting from the flag-leaf sheath preventing complete pollination
45 5 Half Bloom 1100 250 Severe moisture stress can result in poor head filling
46 5 Soft Dough 1350 250 Grain fill is occurring rapidly and approximately half of the seed dry weight is accumulated between soft and hard dough
47 5 Hard Dough 1600 200 Severe moisture stress of an untimely freeze before the grain reaches physiological maturity will result in a light, chaffy grain
48 5 Ripening 1800 150 Hybrid and weather conditions affect the time between maturity and the proper harvest time
49 6 Sprout development 0 130 Development starts when soil temperature rises above 10 degrees
50 6 Vegetative growth 130 150 Ensure suficent nutrients for optimal canopy growth and root formation
51 6 Tuber initiation 280 170 Cool nights needed for optimal tuber formation and reduced watering can accelerate tuber formation
52 6 Tuber building 450 670 Manage soil temperature to around 16 degrees for optimal tuber growth - implies air temperatures below 25 degrees which favour vine growth
53 6 Maturation 1120 80 Keeping
Germinationtubers underground
occurs 5 -10 daysresults in increased
after planting, dry matter
depending and conversion
on sowing ofmoisture
depth, soil sugars toand
starch
typefor
of higher
plant - weight with
irrigation at stronger
50% skin protection
54 7 Emergence 0 120 weighting
55 7 Vegetative growth 120 300 Plant grows horizontally first with horizontal branches froming later - soil moisutre is critical to plant development - irrigation at 75% weighting
56 7 Flowering 420 200 Plants flower with the number of blooms indicating the quantity of pegs to be formed - irrigation at 75% weighting
57 7 Peg formation 620 330 Very rapid growth observed with plant producing bulk - temperature and moisture management critical - irrigation at 105% weighitng
58 7 Pod matuation 950 650 Pods develop underground and the plant aborbs moisture to increase seed bulk, risk of mites is at its highest - irrigation at 75% weighting
59 8 Emergence 0 60 Seeding to emergence takes between 10-14 days. Water management is critical to ensure adequate moisture, but not to over-water the seeds
60 8 Vegetative growth 60 260 The cotton plant grows upward adding unfolded leaves - irrigation management must provide a good balance between nutrients and water for growth
61 8 Square formation 320 230 Buds from on the plant in the form of squares - nutrient uptake is essential to ensure high quality suqare formation
62 8 Blooming 550 450 Pollinated blooms are required for the formation of cotton bolls - structural plant growth is minimised at this stage
63 8 Bolling 1000 300 The development of well formed bolls of cotton require good temperature and soil moisture management
64 9 Emergence Wind damage at early growth can reduce yield by 30% to 60% if sand blasing occurs between 7 and 14 days age
65 9 Stem elongation
66 9 Vegetative growth
67 9 Flowering
68 9 Fruit development
69 9 Seed development
70 9 Crop maturity
71 10 Emergence 0 60
72 10 Early vegetative 120 200
73 10 Late vegetative 320 80 Stems are more than 300mm in length, but no buds are visible
74 10 Early bud 400 60 Low penetration of buds across plant base
75 10 Late bud 460 120 All plants in budding phase
76 10 Early bloom 580 80 First blooms visible - harvest time
77 11 Emergence 0 70
78 11 Unifoliate 70 120
79 11 Flower induction 190 290
80 11 First flower 480 360
81 11 First pod 840 140
82 11 First seed 980 150
83 11 End leaf 1130 60
84 11 End pod 1190 160
85 11 Physiological maturity 1350 580
DiseaseID
Disease Name CropID Cause Growth description Weather Required InfectionCycle Infection remedy DamageCycleDamageRemedy
1 Diplodia cob and stem rot 1 Stenocarpella maydis
2 Cob and tassel smut 1 Sphacelotheca reiliana Soil and seed borne. The fungus winters in the soil and grows with the plant in spring Soil temperature of 21-28, moderate-to-low soil moisture levels 1, 2, 3 Accelerated growth up to v5
8, 9 Spray fungicides
time up to crop maturity when the spores are spread through winds around harvest (below 50% field capcity) and acid (5.5PH) soil conditions
time.
3 Boil smut 1
4 Bacterial stalk rot 1
5 Gibberella ear and stem rot 1 Fusarium graminearum
6 Fusarium ear and stem rot 1 Fusarium verticilliodes
7 Common rust 1 Puccinia sorghi
8 Grey leaf spot 1 Cercospora zeae-maydis
9 Northern corn leaf blight 1 Exserohilum tursicum
10 Maize streak disease 1 maize streak virus (MSV)
11 Eyespot 1
12 Phaeosphaeria leaf spot 1
13 Sorghum downy mildew 1
14 Bacterial leaf streak 1
15 Maize stalk borer damage 1
10 °C is the most common base for GDD calculations, however, the optimal base is often determined experimentally based on the lifecycle of the plant or insect in question.

5.5 °C wheat, barley, rye, oats, flaxseed, lettuce, asparagus

6 °C stalk borer moth
7 °C Corn rootworm
8 °C sunflower, potato
9 °C Alfalfa weevil
10 °C maize (including sweet corn), sorghum, rice, soybeans, tomato, Black cutworm, European Corn Borer, Coffee (Jaramillo-Robledo & Guzman-Martinez published by Cenicafé), standard baseline for insect and mite pests of woody plants
11 °C Green Cloverworm
12 °C many other crop calculations
30 °C the USDA measure heat zones in GDD above 30 °C; for many plants this is significant for seed maturation, e.g. reed (Phragmites) requires at least some days reaching this temperature to mature viable seeds

GDDs may be calculated using either Celsius or Fahrenheit, though they must be converted appropriately; 5 GDDC = 9 GDDF
Common name↓ Latin name↓ Number of growing degree days baseline 10 °C↓
Witch-hazel Hamamelis spp. begins flowering at <1 GDD
Red maple Acer rubrum begins flowering at 1-27 GDD
Forsythia Forsythia spp. begin flowering at 1-27 GDD
Sugar maple Acer saccharum begin flowering at 1-27 GDD
Norway maple Acer platanoides begins flowering at 30-50 GDD
White ash Fraxinus americana begins flowering at 30-50 GDD
Crabapple Malus spp. begins flowering at 50-80 GDD
Common Broom Cytissus scoparius begins flowering at 50-80 GDD
Horsechestnut Aesculus hippocastanumbegin flowering at 80-110 GDD
Common lilac Syringa vulgaris begin flowering at 80-110 GDD
Beach plum Prunus maritima full bloom at 80-110 GDD
Black locust Robinia pseudoacacia begins flowering at 140-160 GDD
Catalpa Catalpa speciosa begins flowering at 250-330 GDD
Privet Ligustrum spp. begins flowering at 330-400 GDD
Elderberry Sambucus canadensis begins flowering at 330-400 GDD
Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria begins flowering at 400-450 GDD
Sumac Rhus typhina begins flowering at 450-500 GDD
Butterfly bush Buddleia davidii begins flowering at 550-650 GDD
Corn (maize) Zea mays 2700 GDD to crop maturity
Dry beans Phaseolus vulgaris 1100-1300 GDD to maturity depending on cultivar and soil conditions
Sugar Beet Beta vulgaris 130 GDD to emergence and 1400-1500 GDD to maturity
Barley Hordeum vulgare 125-162 GDD to emergence and 1290-1540 GDD to maturity
Wheat (Hard Red) Triticum aestivum 143-178 GDD to emergence and 1550-1680 GDD to maturity
Oats Avena sativa 1500-1750 GDD to maturity
European Corn Borer 207 - Emergence of first spring moths