Characterization and Agronomic Evaluation of Chia Germplasm in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.), an ancestral crop currently revalued for its nutritional properties, is one of the main sources of omega-3 fatty acids. It is a short-day plant and sensitive to frost. The objective of this study was to assess the possibility of growing chia in La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina) (34°54′29″ S, 58°2′25″ W) by analyzing interpopulation variability between four accessions of this species. Chia was sown on February 11 in a randomized complete block design (three replicates). Ten uniform and representative plants per plot were labeled and monitored throughout the crop cycle. Phenological stages and morphological characteristics (plant height, width of the main stem, number of pairs of folded leaves and number of pairs of side shoots, and length of central inflorescence) were recorded from seedling emergence to harvest. The emergence and the first pair of unfolded leaves were recorded 3 and 10 days after sowing, respectively. The beginning of verticillaster emergence was detected after 50 days and the beginning of flowering after 66 days of sowing. The highest growth rates were achieved in CMP and EMP. After 77 days of sowing, CMP presented the highest values for the width of the main stem (10.4 mm) and height (90.89 cm), which were statistically different from EMP. The lowest variability between populations was found for the number of pairs of unfolded leaves and side shoots. The observed variability is promising for plant breeding to obtain cultivars capable of completing their cycle at this latitude.