Tef (Eragrostis tef): A Superfood Grain from Ethiopia with Great Potential as an Alternative Crop for Marginal Environments

Most marginal lands are found in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, which account for about 19% of global land area and are home to 25% of the global population. About 41% of the population in these areas depends on agriculture as the major source of its livelihood. However, production of major staple food crops in these areas is affected by many biophysical constraints, among which drought and salinity are the major ones. In contrast, some neglected and underutilized crop species are known to be more resilient and better adapted to grow under those abiotic stresses. Tef is one of such crops that can adapt to such environments and play an important role in eradicating hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. It is a traditional crop that grows very well under various stress conditions in Ethiopia, but little known elsewhere. For example, its water requirement is approximately 15–30% lower than that of barley. And there is no significant difference in yield and water productivity of tef between a full irrigation and a 25% deficit irrigation distributed throughout its growth stages. Further, some laboratory experiments showed presence of broad intraspecific variation among tef accessions and varieties. Tef grain contains higher amount of several minerals than wheat, barley, or grain sorghum, and its straw as feed is also preferred by livestock to any other cereal straws.