Common Name: Tef

General Information

Tef is an erect, annual, clump-forming grass, producing culms up to 150cm tall, occasionally to 200cm[, ]. It has a shallow, fibrous root system[].
The edible seeds form a staple food in Ethiopia, where the plant has long been cultivated. It is also occasionally grown for its seed in other warm temperate to tropical countries[], but is more commonly grown as an ornamental[]. The seed is exported in small quantities, both for Ethiopian expatriates and for the health food market[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

North and east Africa - Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, to the Arabian Peninsula.

Habitat

A casual on waste ground in Britain.

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moderate elevations in the arid to moist tropics, it can also be cultivated in the subtropical and temperate zones so long as there is a growing season of 150 days or more[]. It can be grown in the tropics at elevations from 500 - 3,400 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 2 - 30°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 300 - 2,500mm[].
Succeeds in any good loam or humus-rich soil in a sunny position[]. The plant requires a well-ploughed and pulverized soil for planting. It cannot tolerate intercropping and requires a well-weeded field during the growth period; all practices which leave the soil open and vulnerable to erosion[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 8.2[]. Strong winds can injure plants and are unfavourable to flowering[].
The plant can escape from cultivation[].
Plants can mature a crop of seed in 2 - 5 months in warm climates[, ]. A single inflorescence can produce over 1,000 seeds and a single plant over 10,000 seeds[].
Tef is harvested when the vegetative parts turn yellow. Yellowing of the stalk of the spikelet is a good indicator of maturity. If harvesting is done after physiological maturity, shattering of seed is inevitable, particularly in windy and rainy conditions[]
Seed yields range from 200 - 2,000 kilos per hectare[]. In experiments, grain yields up to 4.6 tonnes per hectare have been obtained[].
Tef is predominantly self-pollinating, with a very low degree of outcrossing (up to 1%), and pollen is set free in the early morning[].
The plants have a tendency to lodge[].
Two ecotypes are cultivated in Ethiopia: Teff Hagaiz with white seed and Teff Tseddia with brown. Only brown teff is hardy enough to be grown above 2,500 metres[].
There are many named varieties[, , ].
This species photosynthesizes by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked. It is used as a cereal for making breads, gruel and various fermented foods[, , , , ]. 'Enjera' is a fermented pancake-like bread that is a made from this grain, either on its own or combined with barley or sorgum[, ]. The bread is spongy, soft, thin and sour tasting[]. A small amount of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is sometimes added in order to improve the 'enjera' flavour - it also increases the lysine content[]. Tef flour is used as a thickening agent in a range of products, including soups, stews, gravies and puddings[]. The seed is very small but easy to harvest[]. The grain is a good source of iron[], whilst protein content is around 13%.

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

In South Africa tef is planted for erosion control, often in mixtures with Eragrostis curvula or other grasses[].

Other Uses

The straw is mixed with clay and used as plastering material for local houses and to make bricks, stoves, granaries, beds and pottery[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ, only just covering the seed. Germination is usually very quick and free, generally above 90% when temperatures are in the range 15 - 35°c[]. Germination does not take place at temperatures lower than 10°c[].
Tef seeds remain viable for several years provided direct contact with moisture and sunshine is avoided[].

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