Persimmon crop (Diospyros kaki L.) is an important agricultural activity to small growers in Brazil. Knowledge about its phenology in tropical climate is very significant to its study and management. This work aimed the characterization of phenologic stages of persimmon tree cultivar 'Rama Forte'. The study was carried out at Horticulture Sector of the Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ), in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, during the cycle of 2002/2003. Twelve stages were characterized from shoot buds to leaf abscission. Two hundred and three days were taken from buds intumescence, at the end of the winter, to fruit fully ripeness at the end of the summer. One hundred and sixty nine days was the time length from flowering to fruit ripeness. Two distinct peaks of fruit abortion were observed. The first symptoms of leaf senescence appeared sixteen days after ending canopy expansion. Two hundred and sixty four days was the elapsed time, during spring, summer and fall, from the appearance of shoot of buds to the complete leaf abscission.
Diospyros kaki; development; fruit crop.
