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Graminae
Synonyms
E. abyssinica (Jacq.) Link.
Common names
Teff, t'ef (Ethiopia).
Description
An annual forming scanty tufts; culms up to 120 cm high in
selected cultivated plants, but often only 20 cm when growing as a weed,
glabrous, finely striate. Leaf-blades narrow, folded. Panicle narrow, 18-20
cm long with adpressed branches at the base; spikelets grey or golden,
8 mm long with up to ten florets and rather large seeds (Napper, 1965).
In Ethiopia two types are grown, one with white seeds (preferred) and one
with brown seeds.
Distribution
Native of Ethiopia, introduced into other tropical countries.
Season of growth
Summer.
Altitude range
Sea-level to 1 800 m in Kenya. In Ethiopia, 1 800-2 400 m,
at which height white teff disappears. Above 2 400 m brown teff is grown.
Rainfall requirements
In Ethiopia, it grows on an average rainfall of 9501 500 mm.
The maximum rainfall is 2 500 mm.
Soil requirements
Mainly sandy loams, but can grow on black soils (Westphal,
1975). A surface crust will kill off delicate young plants.
Land preparation for establishment
A very fine seed-bed is needed.
Sowing methods
It can be planted, broadcast or sown in rows and weeded.
Sowing depth and cover
Sow on the surface or no deeper than 1 cm (Bogdan, 1964). Cover
by rolling or driving sheep across the area.
Sowing time and rate
July or August in Ethiopia at 15-20 kg/ha, or up to 40 kg/ha
as a cover crop for moisture conservation in Kenya.
Number of seeds per kg.
2.5-3 million.
Seedling vigour
The seedlings are small and delicate and should be carefully
weeded. The crop may need thinning.
Vigour of growth and growth
rhythm
It matures in ten to 12 weeks.
Suitability for hay and
silage
It is widely grown for hay in Transvaal and Orange Free State
and in the United States. It is one of the faster growing hay crops known.
Seed yield
270-800 kg/ha.
Cultivars
No cultivars have been released, but there are wide ecotypic
differences both in morphology and agronomic response. Very productive
types can be selected.
Diseases
A rust, Uromyces eragrostides, sometimes attacks it.
Main attributes
Highly adapted to marginal rainfall areas and valuable for
range reseeding.
Optimum temperature for
growth
Maximum temperature is 25-28°C at 2 000 m.
Frost tolerance
It is susceptible to frost.
Palatability
Very well grazed. The seed is eaten by wildlife and cattle,
contributing significantly to their diet at certain times of the year.
Natural habitat
Usually in cultivation.
Tolerance to flooding
It can tolerate waterlogging (Westphal, 1975).
Fertilizer requirements
It is usually fertilized with farmyard manure in Ethiopia and
is used in a rotation containing beans as a leguminous crop.
Genetics and reproduction
2n=40 (Fedorov, 1974). An apomict.
Seed production and harvesting
It is a good producer of seed, which shatters easily. The heads
are cut with a sickle when the panicles become greyish, cured in heaps
in the field and then threshed by flailing or trampling with oxen.
Economics
In Ethiopia the grain is used as human food, accounting for
more than half the country's grain production. In east Welega (Ethiopia),
crops of teff, barley and sorghum are sown in June and July and harvested
in December. After harvest, the farmers enclose a plot of land to be used
for next season and cattle use the pasture for ten to 15 nights to manure
the field and are then moved to another area the "shifting stable"
system. Usually one year of teff is followed by beans, then barley and
sorghum. In the Yerer-Kereyu Highlands of Shoa, east of Addis Ababa, teff
is planted in well-prepared black cracking clays (Westphal, 1975). It is
a good nurse crop for Eragrostis curvula pastures in South Africa (Chippendall
& Crook, 1976).
Further reading
Westphal, 1975.
Dormancy
There is no dormancy.
Value for erosion control
Good (Narayanan & Dabadghao, 1972).
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