Senescence

• Senescence precedes death, the final stage in the life cycle of a plant
• This phase may occur naturally or be accelerated by environmental conditions including pathogenic attack
• During senescence, cells and tissues deteriorate, the effect of senescence is physically visible
• In this state of decline, yield progressively decreases and the plant becomes weak
• The whole plant eventually dies, as in annuals; however, in deciduous perennials, the leaves drop in fall season and the rest of the plant remains alive
• Senescence is a complex process that is not clearly understood
• It occurs in patterns that appear to be associated with the life cycle of plants (annuals, biennials and perennial)
• During the ending phase, plants may experience partial senescence or complete senescence
• In annual plants death occur swiftly and suddenly and senescence is complete
• Deciduous perennial plants shed their leaves in fall and resume active growth with a new flush of leaves in spring
• It occurs after maturity in fruits