Chia is cultivated for the seed, and its scientific name is Salvia Hispanica. It is known as the plant of China. It comes from the mint family, native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. Mainly, it is cultivated for hydrophilic Chia, food and seed. Apart from West Mexico, South America, the United States and China, its crop has flourished in India. Moreover, Chia seed cultivation can be efficiently done with the help of any Captain tractor in India. Its harvest is also done in October and November, along with the Rabi crop. Chia seeds are rich in omega fatty acids. Apart from this, nutrients like fibre, calcium, protein and many minerals are present in Chia. Due to this, Chia’s consumption gives the body and heart strength to fight against diseases.
Chia Seed Cultivation Steps Explained
If you are also planning to cultivate Chia, in this article, we are providing information about Chia Farming and the market price of Chia.
Chia Seed Cultivation Temperature And Soil
Chia seed cultivation requires average temperature but cannot be cultivated in hilly areas with cold climates. Apart from this, Chia can be grown in all areas of the country. According to agricultural experts, it can be cultivated on any land, but sandy loam soil with light friability and proper drainage is suitable for adequate production.
Chia Seeds Sowing
The spraying method is used for sowing chia seeds, but planting in lines is more suitable. If the moisture content in the field is less at the time of sowing, then the field is made after sowing by giving light irrigation. Planting seeds is done at a distance of 30 cm at a depth of 1.5 cm, making it easy to simulate the seeds. About 1 to 1.5 KG of Chia seeds can be planted on one acre of land. Before sowing these seeds, one kilogram of seed is treated with 2.5 GM quantity of captan or thiram fungicide so that the seeds do not get diseases like root rot. October to November is the best month for planting chia seeds.
Chia Seed Farming Field Preparation
For more production of Chia seeds, it is appropriate to prepare the land properly with the help of any ACE Tractor. For this, the initial ploughing of the field has to be done with soil-turning ploughs, and later, two to three ploughings are done by applying a cultivator to pulverise the soil of the field. Finally, moisture is needed in the field before sowing for good germination of seeds.
Manure And Fertiliser For Chia Seed Cultivation
After testing the soil of the Chia field, manure and fertilisers must be given to it. Then, apply 10 tonnes of well-decomposed cow dung or vermicompost per hectare for good chia seed production. Apart from this, Spray the quantity of the NPK. After 30 to 60 days of sowing, two equal doses of Nitrogen must be sprayed on the standing crop along with irrigation. Neem oil and neem cake are best for the organic cultivation of chia seeds.
Irrigation In Chia Seed Farming
In the cultivation of Chia, plants do not require unique irrigation because they are weaker, and due to excess water, plants are at risk of breakage. That’s why we do not allow water logging in the field and sow Chia in the already good drainage land. However, farmers require a tractor tyre for an ideal grip on irrigated ground at a reasonable tractor tyre price.
Diseases In Chia Seed Crops
Cutworm disease is found in Chia crops. This disease damages the plants by cutting them near the ground surface and causes itchiness in the leaves. Mix 2.5 ml of Chlorpyrifos 20 EC per litre of water to prevent this disease and sprinkle it on the plants.
Weed Control In Chia Farming
Keeping it free from weeds is necessary to get good production from the Chia Seeds crop. For this, hoeing is done 30 to 40 days after sowing the seeds and it is required to do two more hoeings at an interval of 30 days. The unwanted plants are removed from the field and thrown away in this weeding.
Chia Crop Harvesting Yields And Benefits
Chia seed plants are ready for harvesting after 110 to 115 days of sowing. The plants are completely uprooted and dried properly for 5 to 6 days. Then, a thresher machine removes the seeds from these dried plants. As a result, about 5 to 6 quintals are produced from one acre of land. The market price of Chia seeds is around 1000 rupees per kg, so the farmer earns a profit of up to 6 lakhs from one acre of crop. Stay tuned to read more informative articles about farming.