IN VITRO REGENERATION OF Salvia hispanica L. BY ORGANOGENESIS

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a crop with economic importance for its content of proteins and oils with nutritional value for human consumption. Techniques are required to obtain high quality seed from elite materials derived from genetic improvement. The objective of this research was to develop a system for in vitro regeneration by organogenesis of three varieties of S. hispanica. The experiments were established with single (germination and rooting) and factorial arrangement (shoot induction and multiplication) in completely random designs. Seeds were disinfected in sodium hypochlorite solution (15% v/v) +Tween'20 (0.5% v/v) for 20 minutes. Germination was achieved after 2 weeks in MS medium with 50% salt concentration. The organogenesis was initiated with the cultivation of apical buds, axillary buds and stem segments of seedlings germinated in vitro in MS medium with 50% of the concentration of salts and equimolar doses of kinetin and bencylaminopurine (BAR 2.5-15 mu M). Induction and multiplication of buds were obtained with 5 mu M of kinetin at four weeks; 16.3, 14.9 and 10.5 buds were induced per explant of the "Blanca 54", "Negra 59" and "Pinta" varieties. In the multiplication, 28.6, 28.5 and 23.3 buds were formed in "Pinta", "Blanca 54" and "Negra 59", respectively. The rooting of 2.5 cm long buds was effective in MS medium with 50% salt concentration and 0.57 mu M indoleacetic acid (AIA) after two weeks. The acclimatization of seedlings was 70% in "Negra 59" and "Blanca 54" varieties and 80% in "Pinta" in a mixture of peat and perlite (1:1) fertilized with 50 % Steiner solution.