Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) yield is limited by sink strength during grain filling

Abstract

Chia is a summer annual herbaceous plant. Its grains are gluten-free, have a 29-35% oil content, and are very rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These characteristics generate interest among growers, industries, and consumers. However, there is scarce information about the yield formation process. The main yield components are the number of grains ha-1 and the number of grains verticillaster -1 , with the number of grains ha -1 being the main component that defines the critical period for yield. Moreover, the two commercial populations used by growers (white chia and black chia) differed in thousand-grain weight (TGW), with white chia having higher TGW than black chia. However, the yield response to changes in resource availability during grain filling is still unknown.