Germination of chia seeds submitted to saline stress

Abstract Salinity, of both soil and water, is one of the main causes of crop yield decline. Within this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different salts on the germination of chia seeds. The experiment was conducted in a BOD chamber at a constant temperature of 20 °C and in the presence of light. The seeds were placed on paper soaked with aqueous solutions of calcium chloride (CaCl2), sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), and magnesium chloride (MgCl2), at the osmotic potentials zero, -0.10, -0.20, -0.30, and -0.40 MPa. The effect of the salinity was evaluated using a germination test, with counts on days 7 and 14 after sowing. Based on the results, chia seeds tolerate concentrations of NaCl to -0.4 MPa and KCl to -0.20 MPa. The salts CaCl2 and MgCl2 had a negative effect on the germination and vigor of the chia seeds for the osmotic potentials -0.30 MPa and -0.20 MPa, respectively.