Characterization and agronomic evaluation of chia germoplasm in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

RODRIGUEZ, MARIA EMILIA; RAMIRO, LOBO; MARTÍN ACRECHE; VALERIA CASTALDO; MAXIMILIANO PÉREZ ; SCHNEIDER-TEIXEIRA, ALINE; DELADINO, LORENA; IXTAINA, VANESA

La Plata-Jujuy

Conferencia; IMPULSANDO LA INVESTIGACIÓN E INNOVACIÓN EN ALIMENTOS CON VALIOSAS SEMILLAS ANCESTRALES IBEROAMERICANAS; 2022

IA ValSe-Food Network y Chia-Link

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 was to evaluate the possibility of growing chia in La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina) (34°54ʹ29ʺ S, 58°2ʹ25ʺ W), analysing inter and intrapopulation variabilityin 4 accessions of this species (CMP, EWP1, EWP2, EMP). Chia grains were sown on February 11st, in a randomized complete block design (3 replicates). Ten uniform and representative plants per plot were labelled and monitored throughout the crop cycle. Phenologicalsta ges and morphological characters (width and length of the fourth leave, number of pairs of unfolded leaves and side shoots, width of the main stem, inflorescence length, and height) were recorded from seedling emergence to harvest. The emergence and the first pair of unfolded leaves were recorded 3 d and 10 d after sown, respectively. The beginning of verticillaster emergence was detected after 50 d and the beginning of flowering after 66 d of sowing. The highest growth rate was achieved in CMP and EMP. After 77 d of sowing, CMP presented the highest values for the width of the main stem (10.4mm) 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 in this latitude.