Growth, Yield Performance and Quality Parameters of Three Early Flowering Chia (Salvia Hispanica L.) Genotypes Cultivated in Southwestern Germany

Publikations-Art

Zeitschriftenbeitrag

Autoren

Samantha J. Grimes, Timothy D. Phillips, Volker Hahn, Filippo Capezzone and Simone Graeff-Hönninger

Erscheinungsjahr

2018

Veröffentlicht in

Agriculture

Band/Volume

8/154

DOI

10.3390/agriculture8100154

Seite (von - bis)

21

The combination of consumer’s ongoing demand for chia (Salvia hispanica L.) alongside
the increased demand for regionally produced food products provided the impetus for this study.
Its aim was to test if a regional cultivation of new chia genotypes, which were adapted to day lengths
greater than 12 hours, is feasible under Central European conditions. Therefore, three early
flowering chia genotypes (Sahi Alba 914, W13.1, G8) were cultivated in a randomized block design
at two experimental stations in Southwestern Germany (Ihinger Hof, Eckartsweier) over the course
of two years (2015, 2016). Mean yields ranged from 100 to 1290 kg ha−1. Mucilage content ranged
from 9.5% to 12.2%, while the crude protein content ranged from 17.2% to 25.0%. Crude oil content
fell in the range of 30.9–33.7% and the PUFA:SAT ratio ranged from 4.0 to 9.4, whereas the
omega6:omega3 ratio varied from 0.27 to 0.5. As chia seed yields surpassed yield levels obtained by
their countries of origin and as quality parameters obtained, were in line with the genotypes
cultivated in their countries of origin, it can be assumed that a regional chia production in
Southwestern Germany offers great potential, being ecologically and economically profitable.