Abstract
Teff is a dominantly cultivated and stable crop in Ethiopia primarily grown for its grain which is used for preparing injera. In spite of its importance, the productivity is very low due to many factors among them, and poor agronomic practices are the major ones. In view of this, a field experiment, under rain-fed condition, was conducted at Laelay Machew district with the objective of evaluating the response of teff to seeding rate and methods of sowing during 2017/18 main cropping season. The experiment comprised four levels of seeding rate (10, 15, 20, and 25 kg/ha) and two methods of sowing (broad casting and row planting), and the experiment was laid in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design (RCBD), replicated three times. Data related to phenology, growth, yield, and yield attributes were collected and analyzed using SAS software. Results indicated that days to panicle emergence, plant height, total number of tillers, productive tillers, main panicle seed weight, thousand-seed weight, panicle length, and harvest index were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the main effects of seeding rate and methods of sowing but these parameters showed no response to interaction effects of the two treatment factors. However, the interaction of the two treatment factors affected grain yield, biological yield, and straw yield. Plots sown with low seeding rate (10 kg/ha) combined with row planting gave high grain yield (2333 kg/ha), biological yield (7666 kg/ha), and straw yield (5333 kg/ha). Therefore, using treatment combinations of seeding rate of 10 kg·ha−1 together with the row method of sowing can be advised for teff production in the subhumid areas of central zone of Tigray.
Highlights
Teff is one of the most important cereal crops and Ethiopia is considered as the origin and diversity of the crop [1]
25 kg/ ha seed rate took shorter time of 48 days for 50% panicle emergence even though statistically at par with plots received seeding rate of 20 kg/ha (Table 1). is result is in line with the finding of [11] who reported that plants treated with high seeding rate flowered earlier than plants grown under low seed rate
Days to panicle emergence, lodging percentage, plant height, physiological maturity, total tillers, productive tillers, thousand-seed weight, main panicle seed weight, harvest index, and panicle length were not affected by the interaction effect of seeding rate and methods of sowing
Summary
Teff is one of the most important cereal crops and Ethiopia is considered as the origin and diversity of the crop [1]. Teff is highly adapted to diverse agro ecological zones including marginal areas where most crops cannot be properly grown [2]. Even though it is small seeded crop, Ethiopian farmers prefer to grow teff because of its multiple advantages such as high market value, reduced postharvest management cost, and low risk, and the straw is preferable as animal feed compared with other cereal crops [3]. Teff is primarily grown for its grain used for preparing injera, which is a staple and very popular food in the national diet of most Ethiopians. Despite the aforementioned importance and large area coverage, its productivity is very low with a national average yield of 1.56 t·ha−1 [8]. is low yield is mainly attributed to lack of appropriate method of sowing and optimum seeding rate [9]
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