The use of biometeorological indices for the prediction of phenological stages has been widely used in the planning of cultural practices in tropical vines. The objective of this study was to characterize and compare the duration (in days) and thermal requirements in degree-day of twelve stages of the phenological cycle of the vine 'Benitaka'. The study was carried out in the vineyard Santa Catarina, in the city of Janaúba, north of the state of Minas Gerais - Brazil. Grapevines grafted on the rootstock IAC 572 'Jales' were irrigated by microaspersion. The accumulation of days and thermal requirement were determined in the same plants on two consecutive pruning dates. The base temperature used for the study was 10° C. The total length of the cycle ranged from 120 days for the vines pruned in January to 131 days for those pruned in July. The total amount of degree days for the grape pruning in January was 1914, whereas for the pruning in July was 1930.
semi-arid; biometeorological index; grape; Vitis vinifera
