CULTIVATION POTENTIAL OF CHIA (Salvia hispanica L.) IN CLUJ COUNTY

Chia (Salvia hispanica) is an annual herbaceous species from the Lamiaceae family. It is a tropical short-day species, native to Mesoamerica. Chia seeds are considered a "superfood" due to nutritional characteristics. Aim of this research was to assess the cultivation potential of chia in local climate (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). The research was conducted on four Salvia hispanica accessions cultivated in the experimental field from Agro-Botanical Garden of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca. In field conditions, growth cycle lasted between 150-170 days. According to BBCH scale were identified eight principal growth stages. Fruit development and fruit maturation were the longest. In September, seeds were harvested for analysis. The average thousand seeds mass was 1.43 g, average protein content 17.06 g/100 g and average fat content was 31.32 g/100 g. Plants developed a specific habitus and had a complete life cycle, producing fruits with viable seeds at the end of summer. Average seed germination was 92.88%. Quality of seeds was comparable with the one from literature, indicating to the potential for cultivation of chia in continental temperate conditions of Cluj county, Romania.