Black Chia
The darker-coloured of the two chia seed types, more widely cultivated in current Indian trials and generally giving a higher yield than white chia, though it typically sells for a somewhat lower price. There is no ICAR-released chia variety yet — this is a colour-based distinction, not a bred variety, and seed is sourced almost entirely through private contract-farming companies.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Chia (Chia Seed)
- Type
- Seed colour type (no bred/released variety exists yet)
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 90–120 days
- Seed rate
- About 2.0 kg/ha for line sowing, or 2.5–3.0 kg/ha for broadcasting — the same rate as white chia.
- Expected yield
- Roughly 5 q/acre (higher of the two seed types)
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
About this variety
Black chia is the common, naturally dominant seed colour of Salvia hispanica, making up roughly 92–95% of the seed any chia plant produces — white seed comes from a rarer recessive gene. Because it is the more abundant colour, black chia typically sells for somewhat less per kilogram than white chia, but in the Indian trial data available so far (Karnataka) it has also given a meaningfully higher yield per acre (roughly 5 q/acre against roughly 3 q/acre for white), which is why it remains the more widely cultivated of the two types in current Indian trials. There is no ICAR-released chia variety of either colour yet; almost all seed moves through private contract-farming companies rather than an open seed market.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFirst half of August to mid-September, the same window as white chia.
- Seed rateAbout 2.0 kg/ha for line sowing, or 2.5–3.0 kg/ha for broadcasting — the same rate as white chia.
- Spacing60 × 30 cm for the main kharif window; 50 × 30 cm for a later October–November sowing.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
90–120 days
Expected yield
Roughly 5 q/acre (higher of the two seed types)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- No separate resistance data reported; standard field hygiene applies
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Higher yield per acre than white chia in the Indian trial data available so far.
- Being the naturally dominant seed colour, it is the more widely available and more commonly cultivated of the two types.
Things to consider
- Sells for somewhat less per kilogram than white chia, so the yield advantage needs to be weighed against the lower per-kilogram price.
- As with white chia, the buying company's preference under a contract-farming agreement usually decides which colour is worth growing, since open-market sale options remain thin.
Suitable regions
Chia is a new, still-emerging crop in India with no fixed growing belt — these are the states it has been reported from so far, not an exhaustive or officially recommended list.
- Karnataka
- Madhya Pradesh
- Rajasthan
Frequently asked questions
Why is black chia the more common type to grow?
Black is the genetically dominant seed colour in chia — a plant typically produces 92–95% black seed and only a small share of white, since white comes from a rarer recessive gene. That natural abundance, plus its meaningfully higher reported yield per acre in Indian trials, is why black chia is the more widely cultivated type.
Should I grow black chia even though it sells for less than white?
It depends on the buyer. Black chia's higher yield per acre can outweigh its lower per-kilogram price, but since almost all chia in India is sold under a contract-farming agreement, the buying company's specific price offer for each colour usually settles which one makes more sense for a given season.