International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology

Vol-10, Issue-4; Jul-Aug, 2025

Peer-Reviewed International Journal
Journal Home Page Available: https://ijeab.com/
Journal DOI: 10.22161/ijeab

A study on the flowering and fruiting Phenology of Plants

at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, Bikaner (Rajasthan)
Priyanka Devra, Smita Jain

Department of Botany, Govt. Dungar College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

Received: 09 Jul 2025; Received in revised form: 05 Aug 2025; Accepted: 12 Aug 2025; Available online: 19 Aug 2025
©2025 The Author(s). Published by Infogain Publication. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Abstract— Phenology is the study of the timing of various life history events such as bud burst, leaf
expansion, abscission, flowering, fertilization, fruiting, seed set, seed dispersal, and seed germination in
plants. Phenological events such as flowering and fruiting are key ecological indicators that reflects plant
responses to climatic factors, and they play a crucial role in shaping ecosystem dynamics. This paper deals
with the study of phenological activities such as flowering and fruiting time of plants at Jorbeer Conservation
Reserve, Bikaner (Rajasthan) for two years from 2021-2024. The study area visited regularly two times in a
month and systematic phenological monitoring were conducted to record duration of fruiting and flowering
time period for each plant species. The flowering and fruiting phenology of 35 plant species reveal distinct
seasonal pattern, with the majority of plant species exhibiting flowering phase during the monsoon season
(July-September) and fruiting phase extending into the post-monsoon season (October-December).
Keywords— Phenology, Flowering, Fruiting, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, Phenology, Rajasthan

I. INTRODUCTION tropical trees (Borchert et al., 2002). Phenological study

Phenology refers to the study of how plants respond to also plays a vital role in understanding how species interact
climatic variations. The term originates from the Greek with each other and with their surrounding environment.
word ‘phainomai’, meaning “to appear” or “come into Differences in phenophases, whether among individuals of
view”. In ecological context, phenology generally the same species or between different species, have been
describes the timing of seasonal events, including when associated with environmental disturbance (Suresh &
certain phenomena first or last occur. Even slight changes Sukumar, 2011).
in climate can significantly affect vegetation. Patterns of A considerable amount of phenological data is available on
phenological events are often used to characterize different different plant species from different part of India
vegetation types (Shimwell, 1972; Opler et al., 1980). including subtropical humid seasonal forest in northeastern
Studying phenology helps us understand how plant grow India (Shukla & Ramakrishnan, 1982), tropical moist
and develop over time, and reveals how environmental forests (Bhat, 1992), tropical deciduous forest in India
conditions and selective pressures influence flowering and (Singh & Kushwaha, 2006). In tropical dry deciduous
fruiting behaviors (Zhang et al., 2006). forest of Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, southern India (Nanda
The timing of flowering is an extensively studied aspect of et al., 2014), Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttar
plant phenology, researched at various scales ranging from Pradesh (Chaudhary et al., 2014), Girnar Reserve Forest,
the level of community (Murali & Sukumar, 1994) to that Gujrat, (Nakar & Jadeja ,2015), Amrabad Tiger Reserve of
of individual flower analysis (Herrera, 1995). Variation in Telangana, India (Shankar et al., 2022), sub-tropical moist
flowering period, relative to vegetative growth, can be forest trees of northeastern India (Devi et al., (2023),
triggered by factors such as substantial rainfall in winter or tropical evergreen forests of Andaman and Nicobar
summer, changes in day length, or drought-induces leaf Islands, India (Dey et al. 2023).
shedding, resulting in diverse flowering patterns among

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Devra and Jain A study on the flowering and fruiting Phenology of Plants at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, Bikaner
(Rajasthan)

Several studies conducted on phenology of various plant headquarters of Jorbeer village. The geographical location
species across different parts of Rajasthan including of the area is 28 º 3’ north latitude and 73º5’ east longitude
herbaceous vegetation around Pilani, Rajasthan (Kumar A. at a height of 234.84 MSL. The total geographical area of
et al., 1980), Ambagarh reserve forest, Jaipur (Mathur & Jorbeer is 7583 hectares. It experiences an arid climate
Bhatnagar, 1992), tropical dry deciduous forest of characterised by intense heat and minimal precipitation.
Rajasthan (Yadav & Yadav 2008), Sariska tiger reserve of The climate of Jorbeer is dry with an average rainfall of 100
north-eastern Rajasthan, (Yadav & Gupta, 2009). IGNP at mm and temperature ranges from a minimum of -1 to -2
Shri Ganganagar district, Rajasthan (Chand et al., 2014), degrees in winter to a maximum of 49.5 degrees in summer.
Indian tropical trees (Singh and Kushwaha, 2006), The winter month from November to February provides the
Northwestern Punjab Kaur et al. (2013) and reproductive most favourable climate for visiting Jorbeer Conservation
biology of Salvadora oleoides in various parts of Rajasthan Reserve with mild temperatures and optimal conditions for
(Barman et al., 2018). wildlife sighting and exploration. The Flora of Jorbeed
Conservation Reserve is well adapted to desert conditions
like water deficiency and extreme temperatures. The Flora
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
of the study area primarily comprised grasses and
2.1 Study Area xerophytic plants with sparse trees. The reserve’s
The Jorbeer Conservation Reserve of Bikaner District vegetation creates a conductive habitat for a variety of
(Rajasthan) is situated in the western part of the Thar fauna, especially for herbivores and grassland avian species
Desert. Jorbeer is situated southeast of Bikaner at a distance
of 10 km, which is both the district and sub-district

INDIA RAJASTHAN

BIKANER

JORBEER CONSERVATION RESERVE

Fig 1: Key Map of Study Area

2.2 Methodology regularly two times in a month and record observation on
Phenological observation was carried out from 2021-2024, phenophase such as fruiting and flowering time period for
for the period of two year to evaluate the phenology of 35 each marked specimen. Details observed were noted in a
plant species in Jorbeer Conservation Reserve of Bikaner field notebook and geotag photographs were taken. The
District. Phenological studies involve observing, recording year is divisible into four seasons: winter season (January
and interpretation of the timing of life history events of to March), summer season (April to June), monsoon season
plants. The present study considers the phenology of (July to September) and post-monsoon season (October-
flowering and fruiting time in a range of species. First, we December).
selected the 10 individual of each plant species and marked
them for easy identification. The study area visited

ISSN: 2456-1878 (Int. J. Environ. Agric. Biotech.)

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Devra and Jain A study on the flowering and fruiting Phenology of Plants at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, Bikaner
(Rajasthan)

III. RESULTS IV. DISCUSSION

In the present study, the monsoon season (July-September) The reproductive phenology of 35 plant species at Jorbeer
stands out as the most significant flowering period (Fig. 2). Conservation Reserve showed that the flowering phase in
Among 35 plant species, 25 species (67.56%) initiate or the highest percentage of species occurred in the monsoon
peak in their flowering during July-September, indicating season (July-September) and while fruiting occurred in the
flowering correlates strongly with the increased moisture post-monsoon season (October-December). Indian
availability from the monsoon rain, which plays a crucial monsoon plays a vital role in shaping plant phenology,
role in enhancing reproductive development. Most of the including the timing of flowering, fruiting, and other
species are herbaceous vegetation, including grasses. developmental stages. In Rajasthan, flowering phenology is
During the post-monsoon season (October-December), strongly influenced by the timing and intensity of monsoon
flowering was observed in 4 species (10.81%), including rainfall, particularly in its arid and semi-arid regions. Many
Abutilon indicum L., Pulicaria crispa (Cass.), Cassia plant species began or peaked in flowering during the
angustifolia M. Vahl. and Leptadenia pyrotechnica monsoon, attributed to the favourable conditions
(Forssk.) Decne. The winter season (January-March) characterised by warm, humid weather and adequate soil
exhibited flowering in 5 species (13.51%) such as moisture. Kumar et al. (1980) conducted significant
Chenopodium album Linn., Echinops echinatus Roxb., research on herbaceous vegetation in the Pilani Region of
Solanum surattense Burm, Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce. f. Rajasthan, demonstrating that climatic factors significantly
and Prosopis juliflora (Swartz). DC. The summer season influenced the phenology of herbaceous species, including
(April-June) marks the flowering period for three species grasses. The majority of these species were annuals that
(8.10%), prominently including Capparis decidua (Forssk.) thrived during rainy seasons. Similar to the present study,
Edgew., Calotropis procera (Alt.) R. Br. and Salvadora Nakar and Jadeja (2015) studied the phenology of
oleoides Decne. These species are adapted to thrive in flowering and fruiting of shrubs, under-shrubs, and herbs at
extremely arid conditions and initiate flowering in the Girnar Reserve Forest, Gujarat. According to them,
warmer months of the year. flowering and fruiting were primarily studied in August and
September, with a second peak observed during March and
The post-monsoon season (October-December) was
April, although the percentage of flowering during this time
observed as the primary fruiting season (Fig. 3). Among 35 was lower compared to the August and September periods.
species, 24 species (62.66%) produced fruits during these After examining 39 species of shrubs and trees in Sariska
months. The post-monsoon season provides favourable Tiger Reserve, Northeast Rajasthan, Yadav (2009)
conditions for seed maturation and dispersal that follow the concluded that flowering and fruiting occurred year-round,
monsoon-induced flowering phase. During the winter showing two peaks, one during the summer (March-April)
months (January-March), 6 species (16.66%) produced and the other during the Monsoon (July-August). About 33
fruits, including Abutilon indicum L., Acacia tortilis % of species flowered in summer, 26 % during the rainy
(Forssk.) Hayne., Chenopodium album Linn., Echinops season, while only 3 species bloomed during cold months.
echinatus Roxb., and Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Similarly, Yadav and Yadav (2008) reported two flowering
Decne. And Solanum surattense Burm. f. These species peaks in 26 woody species of the tropical dry deciduous
likely fruit in response to the late flowering observed from forest in Rajasthan, one in July-August and the other in
the previous season. The summer months (April-June) March-April, while fruit maturation peaked in September-
account for fruiting in 4 species (11.11%), particularly October, fruit dehiscence generally completed in June,
Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew., Salvadora oleoides before the monsoon. Meanwhile, Mathur and Bhatnagar
Decne. and Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Prosopis (1992) conducted a phenological study in Ambagarh
juliflora (Swartz). DC. Fruiting was observed in only 2 Reserve Forest, Jaipur, on ten key species including
species (5.55%) during the monsoon season, such as Prosopis cineraria, Ziziphus nummularia, Acacia tortilis,
Citrullus colocynthis (Linn.) Schard. and Cucumis callosus Dichrostachys cinerea, Adhatoda vesica, Prosopis juliflora,
(Rottl.) Cong. Prosopis juliflora (Swartz.) DC. blooms and Acacia nilotica, Anogeissus pendula and Holoptelea
bears fruit continuously throughout the year, highlighting integrifolia. Furthermore, Singh and Kushwaha (2006)
their invasive and xerophytic nature. This continuous reported that out of 119 tropical tree species in India,
reproductive ability not only reflects their perennial nature summer-flowering species are the most dominant. The
but also their strong capacity to adapt to diverse ecological prevalence of summer flowering along with leaf flushing in
conditions. summer appears to be a distinctive adaptation in trees,
enabling them to survive in strong seasonal condition of
tropical climates. Kaur et al. (2013) found that in some

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https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijeab.104.32 213
Devra and Jain A study on the flowering and fruiting Phenology of Plants at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, Bikaner
(Rajasthan)

phanerogams (trees and shrubs) of Northwestern Punjab, dispersal, ensuring its survival and ecological success in
flowering showed a peak during the beginning of the arid and semi-arid environments. A small number of species
summer season and others during the post-monsoon season, show adaptability to extreme conditions by flowering or
while fruiting was observed in March, April, and May. The fruiting during summer or winter, or persisting year-round.
variation between their results and the current study can be This seasonal flowering distribution revealed that monsoon
attributed to differences in species selection and climatic rainfall acts as a key ecological cue for reproductive activity
conditions. in the arid zone of Jorbeer Conservation Reserve. The
V. CONCLUSION alignment of flowering with the start of the monsoon
highlights an adaptive survival strategy among many native
The present study concludes that the reproductive
species, enabling them to utilise optimal moisture
phenology of herbs, shrubs, and trees is mainly
conditions for effective pollination and formation of seed.
characterised by flowering peaks in July–September and
The presence of seasonal peaks in flowering and fruiting
subsequent fruiting in post-monsoon (October-December).
suggests an adaptive mechanism, and further research is
This timing of flowering and fruiting allows the plant to
necessary to better understand the reproductive
take advantage of the monsoon season for reproductive
phenological sequences of specific region.
success and the post-monsoon season for effective seed
Table 1: Flowering and Fruiting Phenological study of Jorbeed Conservation Reserve
S. No. Botanical Name Family Flowering Fruiting phenology
phenology

1. Abutilon indicum L. Malvaceae October-December January-March

2. Acacia Senegal (Linn.) Willd. Fabaceae July-October September-December
3. Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne. Fabaceae July-November December-March
4. Aerva persica (Burm. f.) Merril. Amaranthaceae August-October August-October
5. Boerhavia diffusa Linn. Nyctaginaceae July-September September-October
6. Boerhavia erecta L. Nyctaginaceae July-September September-October
7. Brachiaria ramosa (Linn.) Stapf. Poaceae July-August September-October
8. Calotropis procera (Ait.) R. Br. Asclepiadaceae April-September September-December
9. Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew. Capparaceae March-April & May-June & September-
July-August October
10. Cassia angustifolia M. Vahl. Fabaceae August-October October-December
11. Cassia italica (Mill.) Spreng. Fabaceae July-September September-December
12. Cenchrus biflorus Roxb. Poaceae July-September September-December
13. Cenchrus ciliaris Linn. Poaceae July-September September-December
14. Chenopodium album Linn. Chenopodiaceae February-March February-March
15. Citrullus colocynthis (Linn.) Schard. Cucurbitaceae June-September July-September
16. Cleome viscosa L. Cleomaceae July-September July-September
17. Cucumis callosus (Rottl.) Cong. Cucurbitaceae June-September July-October
18. Cyperus rotundus Linn. Cyperaceae July-September October-December
19. Dactyloctenium aegyptium Poaceae July-September September-November
20. Echinops echinatus Roxb. Asteraceae January-February February-March
21. Eragrostis ciliaris (Linn.) R. Br. Poaceae July-September September-November
22. Euphorbia serpens. Euphorbiaceae July-September October-November
23. Fagonia indica Burm. f. Zygophyllaceae July-September October-December
24. Heliotropium curassavicum. Boraginaceae July-September October-December

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Devra and Jain A study on the flowering and fruiting Phenology of Plants at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, Bikaner
(Rajasthan)

25. Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Asclepiadaceae August-December November-February

Decne.
26. Lycium barbarum Linn. Solanaceae July-September October-December
27. Mollugo cerviana (Linn.) Ser. Molluginaceae August-October October-November
28. Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce. Fabaceae January-April March-June
29. Prosopis juliflora (Swartz.) DC. Prod. Fabaceae January-March & April-June & October-
July-September December
30. Pulicaria crispa (Cass.) Benth. & Hook. Asteraceae September- October-December
F. November
31. Salvadora oleoides Decne. Salvadoraceae March-May May-July
32. Solanum surattense Burm. f. Solanaceae December-February January-March
33. Tribulus terrestris L. Zygophyllaceae July-September September-December
34. Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth. & Asteraceae August-October October-December
Hook. f. A. Gray.
35. Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. f.) Wt. & Rhamnaceae July-September October-December
Arn.

10.81% 13.51%

10.81%

67.56%

January-March (Winter Season) April-June (Summer Season)

July-August (Monsoon Season) October-December (Post-Monsoon Season)

Fig 2: Flowering Phenology of Plants

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Devra and Jain A study on the flowering and fruiting Phenology of Plants at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, Bikaner
(Rajasthan)

16.66%

11.12%

66.66% 5.56%

January-March (Winter Season) April-June (Summer Season)

July-September (monsoon Season) October-December (Post-monsoon season)

Fig 3: Fruiting Phenology of Plants.

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