Abstract
Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an important crop in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, where it is a staple food for over 60 million people. However, the productivity of tef remains extremely low in part due to its susceptibility to lodging. Lodging is the displacement of the plant from the upright position, and it is exacerbated by rain, wind and the application of fertilizer. In order to address the issue of global food security, especially in the Horn of Africa, greater insight into the causes of tef lodging is needed. In this study, we combine modeling and biomechanical measurements to compare the properties relating to lodging tolerance in high yielding, improved tef genotypes, and lower yielding natural landraces. Our results indicate that the angle of the panicle contributes to the likelihood of lodging in tef. Varieties with compact panicles and reduced height had increased lodging resistance compared to the other varieties. By comparing different varieties, we found that overall, the landraces of tef lodged less than improved varieties. We constructed a model of stem bending and found that panicle angle was an important determinant of the amount of lodging. The findings from this study provide key information to those involved in tef improvement, especially those interested in lodging tolerance.
Highlights
As the most important cereal crop in Ethiopia, tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is annually cultivated on about 30% of the total land devoted to cereal crops (CSA, 2015)
The average height of the high lodging genotypes was significantly higher (1.17 m ± 0.18 standard deviation (SD), n = 72), compared to the low lodging genotypes (0.93 m ± 0.20 SD, n = 81) (p < 0.0001). This indicates that in addition to the panicle type, the height of the plant affects the severity of lodging in tef plants
The center of gravity was significantly higher for the high lodging varieties (0.6 m ± 0.09 SD, n = 79) than the lower lodging ones (0.48 m ± 0.09 SD, n = 85) (p < 0.0001). This shows that the values of the center of gravity are associated with susceptibility of the plant to lodging
Summary
As the most important cereal crop in Ethiopia, tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is annually cultivated on about 30% of the total land devoted to cereal crops (CSA, 2015). Tef is a resilient crop that performs better than other cereals under local conditions including drought, waterlogging and poor soil; its productivity is extremely low. Three types of lodging have been identified: (i) culm bending-type lodging which occurs when plants fail to resist bending pressure, as is often seen in the upper internodes of rice affected by strong winds and rain; (ii) culm breaking-type lodging that usually affects the lower. Lodging Resistant Tef internodes when there is excessive bending pressure at the upper internodes; and (iii) root lodging which happens when the roots give in to the weight of the above-ground parts (Hirano et al, 2017). Lodging angle captures the effects of culm breaking, culm bending and root lodging
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