Effect of sowing date and water availability on growth of plants of chia (Salvia hispanica L) established in Chile

From 2010 to 2014 two trials were performed to assess the effect of sowing date (SD1, SD2) and irrigation treatments (IT1, IT2) on the growth of chia in central Chile, measuring leaf area (LA) and dry matter (DM) as primary parameters and relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), leaf weight ratio (LWR), crop growth rate (CGR) and specific leaf weight (SLW) as secondary parameters. Both LA and DM reached maximum values between 640 and 1150 accumulated degree days (ADD). However, LA and DM were 25% greater for sowing dates than for available water. Flowering date was also not affected by sowing date or water availability; plants flowered at 1140 and 942 ADD in SD1 and SD2 respectively, and at 499 ADD in the water availability trial. Sowing date had a significant effect on RGR 0.15 g g(-1) d(-1) for SD1 and 0.12 g g(-1) d(-1) for SD2 at 410 ADD. Greater water availability increased RGR by 60% compared to stressed plants, however NAR was similar between sowing dates with a tendency to greater values in SD2 plants; maximum values were recorded at 514 ADD in IT1 and IT2, with a tendency toward higher values in IT1. Thus, the primary growth variables LA, DM and flowering are genetically determined. However, the derived growth variables RGR, LWR, NAR, CGR and SLW were affected by sowing date and water availability, with significant differences at p≤ 0.05. The results showed that the sowing date and water availability influence significantly the growth parameters. The physiological component (NAR) show a strong influence on the growth rate of the chia (RGR), above the morphological component (SLW and LAR).