Eragrostis tef
Family :
Famille :
Poaceae
Synonym(s) :
Synonyme(s) :
Poa tef Zuccagni; basionym (Assefa et al. 2017; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024; USDA-NRCS 2024)
Poa abyssinica Jacq. (Assefa et al. 2017; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024)
Poa cerealis Salisb (Assefa et al. 2017)
Cynodon abyssinicus (Jacq.) Rasp. (Assefa et al. 2017)
Eragrostis abyssinica (Jacq.) Link (van Wyk 2005; Assefa et al. 2017; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024; USDA-NRCS 2024)
Eragrostis pilosa (L.) P. Beauv. subsp. abyssnica (Jacq.) Aschers and Graben (Assefa et al. 2017)
Common Name(s) :
Nom(s) commun(s) :
Teff
(English, Amharic, German, Swedish) (Wiersema and León 1999; van Wyk 2005; AOSA 2023; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024)
Teff grass (English) (Wiersema and León 1999)
Abyssinian love grass (English) (USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024)
Tyeff (Amharic) (van Wyk 2005)
Thaf (Arabic) (van Wyk 2005)
T’ef (Arabic) (van Wyk 2005; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024)
Tefu (Japanese) (van Wyk 2005)
Mil éthiopien (French) (van Wyk 2005; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024)
Zwerghirse (German) (van Wyk 2005)
Tafi (Oromo) (USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024)
Eragrostis tef caryopses
Eragrostis tef caryopses
Eragrostis tef caryopsis
Eragrostis tef caryopsis
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Overview
Aperçu
Regulation :
Remarques Réglementation:
Regulation Notes:
Distribution :
Répartition :
Eragrostis tef is native to Ethiopia (Assefa et al. 2017; Byrne 2023).
Habitat and Crop Association :
Habitat et Cultures Associées :
Eragrostis tef grows well under a wide range of conditions, often on sandy loams or well-drained clay soils, at 500 to 2800 meters elevation (Tefera 2011; Byrne 2023; Hyde et al. 2024; Piccinin and Woldetatios 2024).
Eragrostis tef has been introduced in various countries as a crop, either for grain or hay, and often escapes from cultivation, growing in disturbed areas, along roadsides and railway lines (Poindexter et al. 2011; Hyde et al. 2024).
Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :
Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :
Eragrostis tef is a warm-season cereal crop that serves as an important food staple for nearly 50 million people in Ethiopia (Assefa et al. 2017; Lee 2018). Ethiopia produces about 90 percent of E. tef grain in the world (Lee 2018). This species is grown for grain in Eritrea, India, Israel, Kenya, Malawi, the Netherlands, Spain, Yemen, and in the United States, and as a forage or pasture crop in Australia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Pakistan, South Africa, Uganda, and the United States (van Wyk 2005; Poindexter et al. 2011; Abate et al. 2013; Assefa et al. 2017).
Annual grasses, such as Phalaris paradoxa L. (hood canarygrass) and Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult. subsp. pumila (yellow foxtail), present the greatest weed challenge in E. tef cultivation because of their similar plant morphology (Assefa et al. 2017). Other weed species typically encountered in E. tef cultivation include Argemone mexicana L. (Mexican prickly-poppy), Amaranthus L. spp. (pigweed), Convolvulus arvensis L. (field bindweed), Cyperus esculentus L. (yellow nutsedge), C. rotundus L. (purple nutsedge), Guizotia scabra (Vis.) Chiov. (sticky niger), Oxygonum sinuatum (Hochst. & Steud. ex Meisn.) Dammer (star stalk), Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Santa Maria feverfew), Plantago lanceolata L. (buckhorn plantain), Snowdenia polystachya (Fresen.) Pilg. (Ethiopian grass), Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth. (purple witchweed), Tribulus terrestris L. (puncturevine), Xanthium spinosum L. (spiny cocklebur), and X. strumarium L. (common cocklebur) (Assefa et al. 2017; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024; USDA-NRCS 2024).
General Information
RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX
Eragrostis tef is a warm season annual C4 grass (Dent and Reid 2015). The origin and place of earliest domestication of E. tef is believed to be in the highlands of Ethiopia where its grains have served as a food staple for centuries (van Wyk 2005; Assefa et al. 2017). Although considered a minor cereal crop elsewhere in the world, it is believed to have significant human health benefits for individuals suffering from diabetes, gluten sensitivity, and iron deficiency (Dent and Reid 2015; Assefa et al. 2017; Piccinin and Woldetatios 2024). Grains of Eragrostis tef are rich in iron, calcium, and fiber, are a good source of amino acids (especially alanine, lysine, methionine, threonine, and tyrosine), have a low glycemic index, and are naturally gluten free (Dent and Reid 2015; Assefa et al. 2017; Lee 2018).
E. tef grain flour to make a traditional fermented Ethiopian bread called injera (van Wyk 2005). E. tef grain is used in combination with grain of Hordeum vulgare (barley) or other grains (Triticum L. spp., Sorghum Moench spp., Zea mays L.) to make a traditional Ethiopian beer called tella (van Wyk 2005; Lee et al. 2015). The straw is used as fodder for cattle and as a binder of mud used in home construction, and as mulch (Assefa et al. 2017; Piccinin and Woldetatios 2024).
The grains of E. tef are small (100-caryopsis weight 18.9 – 33.9 mg) (Assefa et al. 2017). In comparison, 150 grains of E. tef weigh about the same as one grain of Triticum aestivum L. (wheat) (Lee 2018).
Assefa et al. (2017) provides a comprehensive review of E. tef genetics and cultivar development. Lee (2018) provides and excellent summation of the cultural, economic, and political issues surrounding E. tef production and global trade.
.Identification
Identification
-
Spikelet
Size
- Spikelet length: 4 – 11 mm; width: 1.3 – 2.5 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
- Spikelet length: 4 – 9 mm; width: 1.5 – 3 mm (Hedberg et al. 1995).
- Spikelet length: 3 – 15 mm; width: 1 – 3 mm (Assefa et al. 2017).
- Lower (1st) glume length: 1 – 2 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
- Lower (1st) glume length: 1 – 2.8 mm (Hedberg et al. 1995).
- Upper (2nd) glume length: 1.5 – 2.8 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
- Upper (2nd) glume length: 1.5 – 3 mm (Hedberg et al. 1995).
Shape
- Spikelets laterally compressed, narrowly teardrop shaped (lanceolate) to egg shaped (Barkworth et al. 2003; Assefa et al. 2017).
- Glumes narrowly teardrop shaped (lanceolate).
Surface Texture
- Glumes smooth, membranous to translucent (hyaline).
Colour
- Spikelets brownish-yellow, greyish-green to purplish-green, or variegated colour with flecks of darker spots (Barkworth et al. 2003; Assefa et al. 2017).
Other Features
- Spikelet consisting of 3 – 17 florets (Assefa et al. 2017).
- Disarticulation tardy, spikelets mostly remaining entire at maturity retaining the caryopses (Hedberg et al. 1995), or caryopsis falling from plant, or caryopsis falling with lemma only, the palea and rachilla remain attached to the plant (Barkworth et al. 2003).
-
Floret
Size
- Lemma length*: 1.5 – 2.8 mm (average 2.2 mm); width (lateral view)*: 0.6 – 0.9 mm (average 0.7 mm).
- Palea length*: 1.3 – 1.9 mm (average 1.6 mm).
*Note: minimum and maximum based on a random selection of 10 florets in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-57548.
Floret size measurements from the literature:
• Floret length: 1.6 – 3.0 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
• Floret length: 1.7 – 2 mm; width: 0.8 – 0.9 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007).
• Lemma length: 2 – 3 mm (Hedberg et al. 1995).
• Palea length: 1.4 – 2.2 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).Shape
- Floret laterally compressed, narrowly teardrop shaped (lanceolate).
- Lemma narrowly teardrop shaped (lanceolate), tapering to a point at the tip, keeled along mid-nerve.
- Palea tip rounded to broadly angled, strongly keeled along nerves.
Surface Texture
- Lemma and palea membranous or translucent (hyaline).
- Lemma 3-nerved, nerves raised, short stiff hairs along nerves.
- Palea 2-nerved, with short stiff hairs (palea teeth) along nerves in the upper half.
Colour
- Floret colour brownish-yellow, greyish-green to purplish-green.
-
Caryopsis
Size
- Caryopsis length*: 0.9 – 1.3 mm (average 1.1 mm); width (embryo view)* 0.5 – 0.7 mm (average 0.6 mm); thickness (lateral view)*: 0.5 – 0.7 mm (average 0.6 mm).
*Note: minimum and maximum based on a random selection of 10 caryopses in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-57548.
Caryopsis size measurements from the literature:
• Caryopsis length: 0.7 – 1.3 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
• Caryopsis length: 1 – 1.3 mm; width: 0.7 – 0.8 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007).
• Caryopsis length: 0.9 – 1.7 mm; width 0.7 – 1.0 mm (Lee 2018).
• Caryopsis length: 1 – 1.2 mm (Hedberg et al. 1995).Shape
- Caryopsis shape oval to egg-shaped in outline, slightly compressed laterally, rounded on the side opposite the embryo (i.e., not flattened or grooved longitudinally).
Surface Texture
- Surface smooth to minutely wrinkled, striate, glabrous.
Colour
- Caryopsis colour variable depending on cultivar brown, medium brown, light brown, purple, orange, white, or yellow-white (Assefa et al. 2017).
Other Features
- Hilum nearly circular, usually in a basal depression located 90 degrees from the embryo face.
- Remnants of the style bases may remain attached at the apex like a pair of horns.
Eragrostis tef caryopses
-
Embryo
Size
- Embryo length*: 0.6 – 0.9 mm (average 0.8 mm).
- Embryo two-thirds to three-quarters the length of the caryopsis.
*Note: minimum and maximum based on a random selection of 10 embryos in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-57548.
Shape
- Embryo shape oval.
Endosperm
- Endosperm solid (Terrell 1971).
Other Features
- Embryo in lateral position (Martin 1946).
- Scutellum margin well defined, slightly depressed.
- Root-shoot axis longitudinally wrinkled.
Eragrostis tef caryopsis
Identification Tips
CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION
- Eragrostis tef spikelets disarticulate tardily at maturity. The lemmas may fall with the caryopses and the paleae may remain attached to the plant.
- Lemma and palea are thin and membranous to translucent.
- Floret is laterally compressed.
- Lemma is keeled along the mid-nerve.
- Palea is strongly keeled along the two nerves.
- Hairs along the lemma and palea keels are short and stiff.
- Caryopsis is oval to egg-shaped, slightly compressed laterally.
- Caryopsis can be various shades of brown, yellow, or white.
- The embryo is about two-thirds to three-quarters the length of the caryopsis and is usually the same color as the main body of the caryopsis.
- Hilum is small, nearly circular, slightly depressed, 90 degrees from embryo face.
Note: the genus Eragrostis is comprised of about 350 species found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, so caution should be taken when making a species identification based only on floret and caryopsis morphology.
Eragrostis tef caryopsis
Additional Botany Information
AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES
Flowers/Inflorescence
- Inflorescence panicles may be very loose, loose, semi-compact, or very compact depending on cultivar (Assefa et al. 2017).
- Panicle length 10 – 65 cm; width 2.5 – 22 cm wide (Barkworth et al. 2003; Assefa et al. 2017).
- Number of spikelets per panicle: 30 – 1070 (Assefa et al. 2017).
- Number of florets per spikelet: 3 – 17 (Assefa et al. 2017).
- Grain yield per plant: 0.5 – 21.9 grams (Assefa et al. 2017).
Vegetative Features
- Plants loosely tufted (Barkworth et al. 2003).
- Plants form a large, shallow, fibrous root system (Petruzzello 2024).
- Stems 11 – 100(-200) cm tall, glabrous (Hedberg et al. 1995; Assefa et al. 2017).
- Leaf sheaths glabrous except near apex where hairs can be up to 5 mm long; ligule a fringe of hairs up to 0.4 mm long; leaf blades 10 – 30 cm long, 2 – 5.5 mm wide, glabrous on lower surface and covered with short stiff hairs on upper surface (Barkworth et al. 2003).
Similar Species
ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES
Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.
Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees, Weeping lovegrass (AOSA 2023; USDA-ARS-NPGS 2024; Velez-Gavilan 2024)
In E. curvula, the caryopsis is narrowly oblong to egg-shaped, dorsoventrally compressed, the side opposite the embryo is either flat or with a wide longitudinal depression. The caryopsis apex is rounded. The main body of caryopsis light reddish brown coloured with some darker red splotches. The scutellum is greenish black, and the root-shoot axis is light brown to greenish black. In contrast, the caryopsis in E. tef is oval to egg-shaped in outline, slightly compressed laterally, rounded on the side opposite the embryo. Remnants of the style bases may remain attached at the apex of the caryopsis like a pair of horns. The caryopsis, including the scutellum and embryo, is one colour; brown, medium brown, light brown, purple, orange, white, or yellow-white depending on the cultivar.
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Eragrostis curvula
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Eragrostis tef
Eragrostis tef
Poaceae
Eragrostis tef caryopses
MAIN SPECIES
ESPÈCES PRINCIPALES
Eragrostis tef
Eragrostis tef
Poaceae
Eragrostis tef caryopsis
MAIN SPECIES
ESPÈCES PRINCIPALES
Eragrostis tef
Eragrostis tef
Poaceae
Eragrostis tef caryopsis
SIMILAR SPECIES
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Eragrostis curvula
Eragrostis curvula
Poaceae
Eragrostis curvula caryopses
SIMILAR SPECIES
ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES
Eragrostis curvula
Eragrostis curvula
Poaceae
Eragrostis curvula caryopses
SIMILAR SPECIES
ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES
Eragrostis curvula
Eragrostis curvula
Poaceae
Eragrostis curvula florets
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Reference(s)
Référence(s)
Abate, E., Hussein, S., Laing, M., and Mengistu, F. 2013. Quantitative responses of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] and weeping love grass [Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees] varieties to acid soil. Australian Journal of Crop Science 7(12):1854-1860.
Assefa, K., Chanyalew, S., Tadele, Z., 2017. Tef, Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter. Ch. 9, pp. 226-266. In: Patil, J.V. (ed.). 2017. Millets and sorghum: biology and genetic improvement. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119130765.ch9
Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA). 2023. Rules for Testing Seeds: Volume 3, Uniform Classification of Weed and Crop Seeds. Association of Official Seed Analysts, Wichita, Kansas, USA.
Barkworth, M. E., Capels, K.M., Long, S., and Pie, M. B. 2003. Flora of North America, Vol. 25 Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Oxford University Press.
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora: The Carpathian Mountains Region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Byrne, P. 2023. Teff (Eragrostis tef). In: Chen, K., Byrne, P. (eds.) Understudied Indigenous Crops. Fort Collins, Colorado: Colorado State University. https://colostate.presbooks.pub/understudiedindigenouscrops/chapter/teff/ Accessed August 8, 2024.
Dent, R. and Reid, R. 2015. Agronomic evaluation of teff in Tasmania. Rual Industries Research & Development Corporation. Australian Government. https://agrifutures.com.au/product/agronomic-evaluation-of-teff-in-tasmania/
Hedberg, I., Edwards, S., and Phillips, S. M. 1995. Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea, Vol. 7, Poaceae (Gramineae). National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and Department of Systematic Botany, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. 2024. Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Eragrostis tef. https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=105230 Accessed August 8, 2024.
International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for seed size measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide. https://www.idseed.org/authors/details/method_for_seed_size_meaurement.html
Lee, H. 2018. Teff, a rising global crop: current status of teff production and value chain. The Open Agriculture Journal 12:185-193. https://openagriculturejournal.com/VOLUME/12/PAGE/185/FULLTEXT/
Lee, M., Regu, M., Seleshe, S. 2015. Uniqueness of Ethiopian traditional alcoholic beverage of plant origin, tella. J. Ethnic Foods 2:110-114. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618115000426
Martin, a. C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. The American Midland Naturalist 36(3):513-660.
Petruzzello, M. 2024 (June 4). Teff. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/teff Accessed August 9, 2024.
Piccinin, E. and Woldetatios, T. 2024. More About Ethiopian Food: Teff. https://ethnomed.org/resource/more-about-ethiopian-food-teff/ Accessed August 8, 2024.
Poindexter, D.B., A.S. Weakley, and M.W. Denslow. 2011. New exotic additions and other noteworthy records for the flora of North Carolina. Phytoneuron 2011-42: 1–14.
Tefera, M. M. 2011. Land-Use/Land-Cover Dynamics in Nonno District, Central Ethiopia. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa 13(1):123-141.
Terrel, E. E. 1971. Survey of occurrences of liquid or soft endosperm in grass genera. Bull. Torr. Botan. Club 98(5):264-268.
United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service-National Plant Germplasm System (USDA-ARS-NPGS). 2024. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch?t=pnlspecies Accessed August 6, 2024.
United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conversation Service (USDA-NRCS). 2024. Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter. https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ERTE Accessed August 6, 2024.
van Wyk, B.-E. 2005. Food Plants of the World: An Illustrated Guide. Timber Press. 480 p.
Wiersema, J. H. and León, B. 1999. World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.