Abstract:
Tef is the primary staple cereal crop in Ethiopia. The broadcast method of sowing and the absence of site-specific seeding rates are significant constraints to tef productivity. To address this, a field experiment was conducted in the Woreta district to optimize inter-row spacing and varieties for improved growth and yield of tef. The treatments comprised three levels of inter-row spacing (5, 15, and 20 cm) and four varieties (Bukri, Quncho, Etsube, and Tsedey). These were arranged in a factorial design within a randomized complete block design, with three replications. The analysis of variance indicated that days to 50% panicle emergence, lodging percentage, total number of tillers, number of effective tillers, grain yield, biomass yield, straw yield, and harvest index were significantly influenced by both the main effects (p < 0.01) and the interaction of row spacing and variety (p < 0.05). In contrast, 90% physiological maturity, plant height, and panicle length were affected by the main effects of row spacing and variety, while the number of panicles per plant was influenced solely by the main effect of variety (p < 0.01). The highest grain yield was recorded with 20 cm row spacing using the Quncho variety (3678.74 kg ha-1while the lowest yield was obtained at 10 cm with the Bukri variety (2106.26 kg ha-1.). It can be tentatively concluded that combinations of 20 cm with Etsube, 30 cm with Quncho and Tsedey, and 30 cm spacing generally resulted in higher grain yields of tef.
