Teff row planting (Ethiopia)

Teff row planting is an agronomic practice used to place Teff seeds (very small size) in rows of about 20cm apart and at predetermined depth with sufficient cover of firm soil.

Teff is a staple crop in Ethiopia and used to make 'Injera'. Teff is commonly planted in broadcast technique with a seed rate of 25-30 kg per hectare. This practice results in high competition for nutrient and water, lodging and low productivity (on average 1 ton/ha). Teff row planting is a newly adopted planting method applied for small size seeds of Teff grain. The row planting technique reduces the seed rate from 25kg/ha to 5-8 kg per hectare, ease the weed management, reduce lodging problem, and lessen plant density and then competition for sunlight, nutrient and water. It is practiced on Teff growing soils except on heavy clay soils or Vertisols where it is difficult to prepare defined rows due to the extreme swelling nature of the soil under near saturation moisture condition. However, under optimum soil moisture (45-50%) it is possible to place seeds in row using manual seed drill in black soils with clay texture. The technique is not perfectly working on stony fields. Seed application is possible using locally available plastic bottles with needle size opening to drop seeds, and newly manufactured seed drill pulled by one person.

Purpose of the Technology: The main purpose to practice Teff row planting is to reduce plant density or population per unit area and thereby increase productivity. It also aim to reduce the lodging problem. Additional advantage of row planting for small grain crop, there is some extent of labor reduction for weeding to some extent.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Teff row planting technique applies on fine seed bed after 3-5 tillage frequency using local ard plough called maresha pulled by pair of oxen. Once the seed bed is finely prepared, first using local adopted application tools like plastic bottles or hand metering the farmer prepares seed rate of 5-8 kg per hectare mixed with proportional sand (approximately seed to sand ratio of 1:3) - it is difficult to manage uniform application and even distribution by applying the seed alone. He applies along the row and step on to cover the seed and compact it. Similarly, fertilizer is applied in the same way. Second option, after the preparation of fine seed bed, seed application is facilitated using drum type manual seed drill (of weight 21 kg) manufactured by Bahir Dar Agricultural Mechanization and Food Science Research Center (BAMFSRC) having 3 rows of 20cm apart, average depth and width of planting furrow equals to 3.6 cm and 6.4 cm and operating at field capacity of 0.06ha/hr. The drill can apply 3-6 kg/ha seed rate and pulled by one person. At tillering stage urea is top dressed. The technique requires 50-60 person days per hectare to apply seed and fertilizer using hand metering/bottles compared to 2-4 person days per hectare using drum type seed drill. Labor requirement for weeding is also reduced by using row planting than broadcast method.

Natural / human environment: Teff grows on wider environment of altitude range 1800-2600 m above sea level. It performs well with annual rainfall of 750-850 mm and temperature of 10-27 degree Celsius. In fact, there are varieties with short growing period adapted under low rainfall conditions. The row planting technique applies commonly on red clay soils having high water holding capacity. The technique potentially applies on slopes ranging from 0-10% with low stone cover.

Teff row planting using manual seed application or hand metering technique can easily be practiced by households having large family labor. Farm households who used the manual seed drill of drum type should have the capacity to afford the seed drill and able to buy fertilizer. Teff is produced for food and market. It has a good price for sale.

Although teff has high market price in country as well as an emerging export market potential, it is produced annually by subsistence farmers. The land holding is small to meet their family food demands. Their wealth condition ranges poor to average characterized with low agricultural advisory, market and water supply services and inadequate infrastructures. Energy supply is relied on biomass energy. Rural education and health services are improved. Rural unemployment and landless populations are at high rates. In general, the well being of the rural people is under poor condition.

Location: Bahir Dar Zuria, Mecha, Yilmana Densa, and Dembecha, Amhara, Ethiopia

No. of Technology sites analysed:

Spread of the Technology: evenly spread over an area (approx. 0.1-1 km2)

In a permanently protected area?:

Date of implementation: less than 10 years ago (recently)

• through land users' innovation
• as part of a traditional system (> 50 years)
• during experiments/ research
• through projects/ external interventions