Integrated Production Technical Guideline for Tef in Ethiopia

Tef [Eragrostis tef Zucc.Trotter] is an indigenous cereal and important food crop for the majority of the Ethiopian population. It is a gluten free crop and nutritionally rich in protein, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, phosphorous and potassium. Although tef is a highly valuable and socially important crop for Ethiopian culture, it has the lowest average grain yield per area among cereals. This low national average is associated with land degradation, traditional agronomic practices, lodging, pest infestation, farmer¿s economic status and accessibility and affordability of technologies. This disk study was conduct to review the major production challenges of tef and develop an integrated production technical guideline. This IP technical guideline can be used by extension workers to teach farmers and provide directions and recommendations on site selection, soil management, seed selection and planting, nutrition, water requirement, crop protection and post harvest management.