Growing Teff Grass

Rutendo Nyamusamba
Agronomy-Crops Field Specialist
 

Have you considered teff grass? This is a question posed to those looking for more crop choices in their operations.

"In Western South Dakota the growing interest is linked to no-till systems and cover crops. Teff or Eragrotis tef, is native to Ethiopia in Africa where it is mainly grown for its grain used in making the staple, injera. Although there is an increasing market for its grain, teff is mainly a forage crop in the U.S.," said Rutendo Nyamusamba, SDSU Extension Agronomy-Crops Field Specialist.

Can I grow teff?

Nyamusamba said teff grows well in many environments and soil types.

She explained that teff is best sown when soils warm-up to 65degrees Fahrenheit followed by warmer growing temperatures of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Teff is very intolerant of cold temperatures and frost, with a reported 100 percent kill when temperatures dropped to below 32 degrees Fahrenheit," she said.

A firm seedbed is important when sowing teff, with a shallow sowing depth of between 1/8 and ¼ inch. Seeding deeper than half inch has great potential of a stand failure. However, Nyamusamba said seeding this shallow can be a challenge.

Recommendations

At Dakota Lakes Farm, she said, teff is seeded deeper, packing the seed into the bottom of the trench and leaving the trench open. Surface seeding is possible if there is enough moisture. Teff seed is small with a seed count of 1.14 million to 1.50 million un-coated seeds per pound.

In 2013, at Dakota Lakes Research farm, seed was even smaller with a seed count of 1.8 million un-coated seeds per pound. Seeding rate of 4 to 8 pounds per acre is the general recommendation. Teff produces many tillers (Picture 1). With favorable temperature and moisture, teff germination is rapid, taking three to five days.

"The first two weeks following germination are concentrated in establishing the roots hence the need to think about weed competition at crop establishment," she said.

According to teff research results at SDSU, teff can be seeded from late May to July.

"Optimum production was achieved in late May planting where first cutting was done in early August and a second harvest mid-September or the stand can be grazed. Because of its shallow root system, it is recommended that grazing be done on re-growing teff after the second cutting," she said.

Grazing before the first cutting might result in animals pulling plants out of the ground. A 1st cutting height of 3 to 4 inches gives better regrowth as it allows enough leaf blade to remain for photosynthesis. Trials at SDSU yielded 1.3 to 5.3 tons per acre of biomass. There have not been many concerns with disease and insect problems. However, a stem-boring wasp caused significant damage and stunting of growth in one year of the trials conducted by SDSU at Highmore and Brookings.

What are other possible uses/ reasons to plant teff?

Nyamusamba lists other uses and reasons to plant teff below:

    As an emergency forage or rescue crop
    To supplement hay during the 'summer slump' months
    For double cropping following cereal grain like wheat
    As a rotational crop following alfalfa
    As a green manure crop
    For soil erosion control
    To make use of field corners for those with center pivots
    To extend production months of an old alfalfa stand
 

Source:igrow.org