Abstract

AYERZA (H.), Ricardo. Chia flowering season prediction using day length data of 11 selected locations. Rev. ind. agric. Tucumán [online]. 2014, vol.91, n.1, pp.33-35. ISSN 1851-3018.

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an annual herb of the Lamiaceae family. In pre-Columbian times, its seeds were one of the basic foods of Central American civilizations. Recently, chia seed has been given an important role in human health and nutrition, because its w-3 fatty acid content promotes beneficial health effects. Efforts to incorporate chia into modern agriculture only began in 1990. However, a number of chia plantations have failed lately in Northwestern Argentina, Southeast Bolivia and South Paraguay, because the fact that chia shows a short-day response to flowering and is not a frost-resistant plant has been overlooked. This technical note aims to determine the photoperiod needed for chia flowering, apart from predicting its flowering season when there are not any chia production records. The results collectively indicate a relatively narrow set of conditions for optimal chia flowering, with optimal flowering considered to be the case of fast-developing plants with many flower buds and a satisfactory height. Chia plants were only able to flower when day length was shorter than 12:27 hours. This suggests a critical day length that ranges between 12 and 13 hours.

Keywords : Salvia hispanica L; Chia; Flowering; Photoperiod; Length of day.

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