Yield and Agronomic Performance of Selected Semi-dwarf Tef (<i>Eragrostis tef</i> (Zucc.) Trotter) Genotypes under Irrigation Farming System in Ethiopia

Tef is a foremost staple cereal crop with considerable role in the domestic GDP of Ethiopia. In diverse parts of Ethiopia, declining levels and high variability of rainfall is among the main causes for low crop productivity. Therefore, the study was designed to assess, pinpoint and recommend promising tef breeding lines suitable for irrigation farming conditions in the semi-arid, temperate and cool sub-humid agro-ecologies of Ethiopia. The experimental plant materials comprised forty- nine tef genotypes including forty seven recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and two standard checks varieties Quncho and Boset. The forty-seven RILs were out-sourced from three simple crosses of four parental lines. The field experiment was conducted using 7×7 simple lattice designs at three locations (Mehoni, Koga and Werer) during 2016 and 2017. Data were taken on plot and individual plant basis on nine pheno-agro-morphological characters including days to heading and to maturity, grain filling period, plant height, culm length, panicle length, above-ground shoot biomass, grain yield and harvest index. The three locations displayed highly significant (P<0.001) differences for a number of traits. However, panicle length did not show marked difference between locations. The cropping seasons has also showed highly significant (P<0.001) variation aside from plant height. Averaged over locations and seasons, differences among the genotypes were significant for all traits except days to maturity. The pooled result at the two locations (Mehoni and Koga) showed Kaye Murri X 3774-13 RIL 55 has the maximum yield of 3.1 t ha-1. Thus, it is suggested to use the selected genotype for the sites and similar agro-ecologies. The use of irrigation system showed merit of achieving maximum yield of 4.7 t ha-1 at Mehoni during 2016 (Kaye Murri X 3774-13 RIL 66), but this is not consistent over locations and years. Nowadays, straw also has comparable values to grain yield, hence, the highest aboveground shoot biomass yield and lowest harvest index were indicated by Kaye Murri X 3774-13 RIL 110. Consequently, it would be advisable to use both (Kaye Murri X 3774-13 RIL 66 and Kaye Murri X 3774-13 RIL 110) to further test in the breeding program.