anyone ever tried planting chia seeds?

[jikwan]

theyre very expensive, so i thought id try planting some. im in loei

and the soil isnt the most fertile in the world. about sea level

near nong hin

they grow it in bolivia and also australia

any info appreciated

[Lamkyong]

Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Wikipedia

[jikwan]

have a look at this vid

australia i guess

about 3 sq metres=half a kilo?

 

 

[Pseacraft]

Are you looking to mass produce and market this or for a garden project for personal consumption?

 

 https://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/chia.pd

 

Website for the US company licensed by UKy for seed production/marketing:  

fhttp://www.heartlandchia.com/

 

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_saco6.pdf

 

[jikwan]

8 hours ago, Pseacraft said:

Are you looking to mass produce and market this or for a garden project for personal consumption?

 

 https://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/chia.pd

 

Website for the US company licensed by UKy for seed production/marketing:  

fhttp://www.heartlandchia.com/

 

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_saco6.pdf

 

definately small scale. if it works i could tell people its possible

10-20 sq metres enough for my own consumption

this as you probably know is a superfood and i could imagine eating a handfull or two

to replace ordinary food

yes, im a bit crazy

thanks for the info--i ll study it bit later

[jikwan]

soil round here is notoriously incapable of holding water

this is a good advantage so far

 

Chia is a low-maintenance crop that prefers

moderately fertile, well-drained soils. While

moisture is necessary for seedling establishment,

this crop is highly intolerant of wet soils.

[jikwan]

wow! looks like i got optimum conditions here

 

Adaptation

Chia is adapted to arid conditions and soils of low

fertility. It is one of the so-called “fire following”

species, in that it increases

in abundance after a fire

(Timbrook et al. 1982).

[Pseacraft]

I noticed a contradiction between the USDA and UKy papers on that but could be because the UKy is a hybrid variety specifically modified for midwest USA conditions and the USDA was looking at what was in current production more or less globally. 

 

[jikwan]

7 hours ago, Pseacraft said:

I noticed a contradiction between the USDA and UKy papers on that but could be because the UKy is a hybrid variety specifically modified for midwest USA conditions and the USDA was looking at what was in current production more or less globally. 

 

noted, thanks

its a tough old plant, very resilient and requires good amount of sun

planting it now in the rainy season would not be a good idea. too much

water makes them grow too tall too fast

[Pseacraft]

The key issue will be finding a variety that is ideal for your conditions.  Good luck and post updates when you do put it in the ground.  Our main field has at least 3 different soil types.  We are looking for alternative crops that won't require massive up front costs for specialized equipage, but instead allow harvester screen and planter plate swaps, etc on the existing equipage, for the dry season to both supplement the small income our farming provides but also improves the soil.  I want to limit our chemical dependance because of my concern for the ecological consequences as rice paddy is so water dependent and you can not control run off.  So your question has made me add to my list of crops to consider.  So many questions to be answered.

[jikwan]

why not clear and till a 2 sq metre patch on each of the 3 soil types and

scatter a few handfulls and lightly cover them

might have to wait 3-4 months for the result

better than planting the whole field then finding it wasnt suitable

if it dont take then youve only lost about 7 hrs of work including occasional watering

i suspect they grow a lot of it in thailand but theyre not telling

the more growers the selling price gets lowered

[Pseacraft]

Not so much the result from a micro test plot we are interested in as the marketablility of the commodity.  Might be a niche market in the big cities where the overhype words get attention.  This is one area we am looking.   We will use our soil types to our advantage as far a production just as we do with rice.  Worst case is still a win, we will till under the plants (which ever we do schedule to grow) just as flowering starts.  Just want to have as full a deck of cards as possible to play with.

[HerbalEd]

Given that Chia naturally grows in arid, desert areas, I'd think Thailand is too wet and humid to grow it here in Thailand. 

[bark]

Chinese are growing large scale farms in Burma; for the last 3 years. Bought the land cheap. Good results with High density

fields.

[jikwan]

On 6/9/2559 at 11:58 AM, HerbalEd said:

Given that Chia naturally grows in arid, desert areas, I'd think Thailand is too wet and humid to grow it here in Thailand. 

rainy season definately out of the question

the NE issan i think is ideal. they dont get much rain for 8 months and lots

of sun and sandy soil

[JungleBiker]

I've been growing it in Laos for a few years. On top of a mountain. Grows like a weed.

I've never had to spray for pests and diseases.

In your low altitude area, I suggest you sow within this month and then irrigate in the dry season.

Should be ready for harvest after 4 months.

If you plant too late, the heat from March onwards will not help and neither will the rainy season (too hot and humid). 

Start with a clean seedbed, sow the small seed (very shallow) in rows about 30cm apart then, when the seedlings are a few cm high, hoe one time between the rows to knock out weed seedlings, give a bit of fertiliser, and then the chia seedlings will soon grow upwards and outwards to cover over the gaps between the rows and shade out any further weed growth. Shouldn't need to do weeding more than just that one time.

Let us know how it goes. 

JB

 

 

 

[rice555]

Hello All, not chia, but quiona is being tested up N. The forward to

the article is in Eng. The guy's contact info is at the top R/H of the

second pic. The main article is Thai. The mag issue it's from.

The chia seed I got at The Mall Korat, the lowest priced one, Bt. 180.

rice555

[rice555]

Hello All, not chia, but quiona is being tested up N. The forward to

the article is in Eng. The guy's contact info is at the top R/H of the

second pic. The main article is Thai. The mag issue it's from.

The chia seed I got at The Mall Korat, the lowest priced one, Bt. 180.

rice555

[worldfun]

Interesting especially with the quinoa seeds. any update guys anywhere?

I've found the basil seeds quite nice e.g. in soy milk etc which is similar to chia in drinks but slightly less 'super food' qualities though but grown natively here although I don't see it too widely available apart from at the local soy milk shops in the markets as ready to eat (presoaked)  

[CLW]

Interesting especially with the quinoa seeds. any update guys anywhere?
I've found the basil seeds quite nice e.g. in soy milk etc which is similar to chia in drinks but slightly less 'super food' qualities though but grown natively here although I don't see it too widely available apart from at the local soy milk shops in the markets as ready to eat (presoaked) [emoji6] 

You will face two problems :

1. For local market, forget about it. Thais won't eat what they don't know.
For example I like very much Millet or Sorghum as healthy alternative to rice.
All Thais I know said it's animal feed...
2. For export, you have to compete with already existing producers that have more experience and better climatic conditions.

[JungleBiker]

On 11/03/2018 at 12:36 PM, CLW said:

You will face two problems :

1. For local market, forget about it. Thais won't eat what they don't know.
For example I like very much Millet or Sorghum as healthy alternative to rice.
All Thais I know said it's animal feed...
2. For export, you have to compete with already existing producers that have more experience and better climatic conditions.

Chia is already selling in Thailand. For high prices.