Weed-Competitive Ability of Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) Varieties

Haftamu Gebretsadik Gebrehiwot,Jens Bernt Aune,Jan Netland,Lars Olav Brandsæter,Ole Martin Eklo,Torfinn Torp

doi:10.3390/agronomy10010108

Abstract

Teff is a staple and well adapted crop in Ethiopia. Weed competition and control have major effects on yields and economic returns of the crop in the country. Among the weed management methods, development and use of weed competitive teff varieties remain the cheapest and most sustainable weed management option. Ten teff varieties were tested for their weed competitive ability in two locations. Treatments were applied using a split plot design with three blocks at each location for two consecutive seasons. Hand weeding and non-weeded treatments were applied to whole plot treatments with teff varieties assigned as split plots within the whole plot. The main objective was to determine relative competitive ability among teff varieties. Results showed that teff varieties showed significant variation in their weed competitive abilities. The varieties ‘Kora’ and ‘DZ-Cr-387’ significantly reduced weed density, dry weight, and cover more than the other teff varieties. They also had the lowest yield losses with a loss of 6% in biomass yield and 18% in grain yield recorded from ‘Kora’ and a loss of 17% in biomass yield and 21% in grain yield recorded from ‘DZ-Cr-387’. Therefore, they showed the highest weed competitive ability compared to the other varieties.

Highlights

Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is a well-adapted and widely grown staple in Ethiopia [1].The crop adapts to a range of climatic and edaphic conditions
Being a staple food to more than 60% of the population in Ethiopia, around 3 million hectares of the arable land is allocated to its production [2]
The experimental sites were selected based on their suitability for teff production

Summary

Introduction

Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is a well-adapted and widely grown staple in Ethiopia [1].The crop adapts to a range of climatic and edaphic conditions. Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is a well-adapted and widely grown staple in Ethiopia [1]. Teff has a broad phenotypic and genetic diversity [3–5] It shows a high diversity at different development stages in terms of its morphological, physiological, and phenological traits. Most of the varieties differ widely in seed color (which determines the consumer preference), seed emergence, panicle type, panicle length, tillering potential, plant height, leaf area, flowering, maturity, lodging potential and overall dry weight [3–5]. These traits enable it to adapt to various moisture conditions, so that it can perform well under both drought and water-logged conditions [4,5]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion