Growth and development of the vegetative phase of local cherimoya (Annona cherimola, Annonaceae) materials under premontane moist forest conditions

Background and Aims: Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) cultivation in Colombia relies on seed-propagated trees, resulting in high variability within orchards characterized by limited technical management and unknown growth patterns. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the vegetative budding behavior and development of six local materials under premontane moist forest conditions in Tibacuy, Cundinamarca. Specifically, the study evaluated the influence of branch type (primary vs. secondary), spatial distribution of budding, shoot typology, growth dynamics (BBCH scale), and the thermal requirements associated with each phenological phase.Methods: Trees in the productive phase were selected within a commercial orchard, and their architecture was standardized through selective pruning. Following manual defoliation, phenology was monitored weekly according to the BBCH scale, and the growth of 88 new shoots was analyzed. Data were processed using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) for bud break, non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis) for branch classification, and Spearman correlations for climatic response. Key results: Observed phenology validated the applicability of the subtropical BBCH scale. Budding was predominantly single-type (>77%) and acrotonic, being significantly higher in secondary branches compared to primary ones. Morphometric analysis statistically differentiated four branch categories (Short, Medium, Long, and Very Long). Notably, the Very Long category exhibited a biphasic growth pattern. Longitudinal growth showed thermal regulation, where the mean temperature recorded 8-14 days prior negatively affected the elongation rate (rs = -0.471, P = 0.031).Conclusions: This study provides the first phenological characterization of cherimoya in the premontane moist forest, indicating that the vegetative cycle responds to local variability: precipitation triggers bud break, while temperature modulates elongation speed. Morphologically, the identification of branches with biphasic growth and genotypes with homogeneous lateral distribution reflects an adaptive plasticity valuable for optimizing pruning strategies and agronomic management in the region.