3302

10: Cereals

Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter

GRAMINEAE

Poa tef Zuccagni, Poa abyssinica Jacq., Eragrostis abyssinica (Jacq.) Link.

Teff (En).

Teff is native to Ethiopia, where it is the most important cultivated cereal. It has been introduced into other parts of the world, mainly as an important forage grass (e.g. in southern Africa, India and Australia).

In Ethiopia, the grains are ground to flour and primarily used to make a kind of large, sour-tasting pancake (injera), which with a spicy sauce (wot) forms the basic diet. The grains are also used to make porridge, unleavened bread, cake and beer. The grass, including its hay and straw, is an excellent forage. The straw, mixed with clay, is also used to construct houses, stoves and granaries.

Annual, tufted grass, 60—120 cm tall with erect, slender, glabrous culms. Leaf blade linear, 25—45 cm 0.1—0.4 cm. Inflorescence a loose open panicle, 15—35 cm long; branches very slender, long, drooping, alternate; spikelet usually 5-flowered, small, about 8 mm long. Caryopsis extremely small, 1—1.5 mm 0.75—1 mm, white or reddish brown, 2500—3000 per g. Ethiopia is the only country in the world that grows teff as a cereal crop which is also preferred above all other grains. Teff is cultivated at altitudes of (1300—)1900—2100(—2800) m with average growing temperatures of 25—28°C, and average annual rainfall of 400—2500 mm. Teff has a C4-cycle photosynthetic pathway. Heavy loams are preferred, but soils should have good permeability and not be subject to surface crusting which kills off delicate young plants. To prevent the tiny grains being washed away, shallow trenches are dug 3—6 m apart before sowing to ensure quick drainage of water. Young plants display some tolerance of waterlogging. The advanced crop is tolerant of drought. Teff is little affected by diseases and pests. The growth period varies from 2—4 months. Yield ranges from 300—3000 kg/ha, averaging 800 kg/ha. Per 100 g edible portion the grain contains approximately: water 11.2%, protein 9.1%, fat 2.2%, carbohydrates 74.3%; it is rich in Fe and Ca. The grain can be stored for many years in traditional store houses without being damaged by insects. There are many cultivars, and the white-grained ones are preferred; in Ethiopia 2225 germplasm accessions are available. Eragrostis pilosa (L.) P. Beauvois is considered to be the possible ancestor of teff and is widespread in the tropical and warm temperate areas of the Old World, including South-East Asia where it is used as a forage. As a famine crop and as an extremely palatable forage, teff might be of interest for the cooler parts of South-East Asia.

[3]Bor, N.L., 1960. The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India and Pakistan (excluding Bambuseae). Pergamon Press, Oxford, United Kingdom. 767 pp.
[12]FAO, 1988. Traditional food plants. A resource book for promoting the exploitation and consumption of food plants in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid lands of Eastern Africa. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No 42. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy. 593 pp.
[17]Hesselbach, D., 1975. Einflusz der Düngung auf Wachstum, Entwicklung, Ertragsbildung und Nährstoffaufnahme verschiedener Teffsorten (Eragrostis abyssinica) in Äthiopien [The influence of manure on growth, development, yield, and uptake of nutrients of several teff cultivars (Eragrostis abyssinica) in Ethiopia]. Inaugural–Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät der Justus Liebig-Universität Gieszen. Gieszen, Germany. 220 pp.
[20]Mansfeld, R., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kulturpflanzen (ohne Zierpflanzen) [Register of agricultural and horticultural plants in cultivation (without ornamentals)]. Schultze-Motel, J. et al., Editors 2nd edition, 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 1998 pp.
[21]Mengesha, M. H., 1966. Chemical composition of teff (Eragrostis tef) compared with that of wheat, barley and grain sorghum. Economic Botany 20: 268–273.
[27]Purseglove, J.W., 1972. Tropical crops. Monocotyledons. Vol. 1. Longman, London, United Kingdom. pp. 118–334.
[29]Riley, K.W., Gupta, S.C., Seetharam, A. & Mushonga, J.N. (Editors), 1993. Advances in small millets. Proceedings of the Second International Small Millets Workshop held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, April 8–12, 1991. Oxford & IBH Publishing Company, New Delhi, India. 557 pp.
[34]Smartt, J. & Simmonds, N.W. (Editors), 1995. Evolution of crop plants. 2nd edition. Longman Scientific & Technical, Harlow, United Kingdom. 531 pp.

H.N. van der Hoek & P.C.M. Jansen

van der Hoek, H.N. & Jansen, P.C.M., 1996. Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter. In: Grubben, G.J.H. & Partohardjono, S. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 10: Cereals. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea