Vigor testings for evaluating the physiological quality of chia seeds

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a plant native to central and western Mexico and northern Guatemala belonging to the Lamiaceae family, well known for its seeds containing antioxidants, dietary fibers, and ?-linolenic acid, which helps to prevent different diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and Alzheimer. In Brazil, there is not much information about the crop, mainly about the physiological quality of its seeds. Therefore, the objective was to establish vigor testing methods to evaluate the physiological quality of chia seeds. Five seed lots were used, in which germination tests, seedling emergence, emergence velocity index and variations in the electrical conductivity test were carried out. The volume of distilled water was 25 and 50 mL, the number of seeds was 50 and 100, the temperature was 20, 25 and 30 °C, the soaking period was 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours and variations in there was accelerated aging test by the traditional method and saturated NaCl solution, being periods of aging as 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours and temperatures of 38, 41 and 44 °C. It is concluded that both the electrical conductivity test and the accelerated aging test are efficient in evaluating the physiological quality of chia seeds. The electrical conductivity test must be performed with 100 seeds in 50 mL of distilled water, for four hours soaking at 25 or 30 °C; and the accelerated aging test should be performed at 44 °C for 24 hours by the traditional method or 41 °C for 24 hours using saturated NaCl solution.