Promotion of Improved Tef (Eragrostis Tef) Technologies through Cluster-based Large Scale Demonstration in Enemay and Shebelberenta Districts of East Gojam Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Tef (Eragrostis Tef) is Ethiopia’s most important cereal crop, and it plays an important role in the food and nutrition security of smallholder farmers. Despite its importance in terms of both production and consumption, the productivity of Tef grain is relatively low (18.5 qha^-1). The low productivity of Tef is mainly due to farmers’ lack of access to improved varieties coupled with low adoption of the recommended package of practices. This activity is, therefore, conducted with the objectives of creating awareness and wider access to improved Tef varieties using cluster-based Large-Scale Demonstration (LSD) approach in two potential districts of East Gojam Zone, Amhara region. Two varieties, namely Dagim and Kora, were demonstrated along with the recommended packages of practice at farmers’ land during the 2019/20 main planting season. Yield data was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Whereas the preference of farmers and feedback on the varieties were analyzed using narration respectively. According to the results, the mean grain yield of 28.55 and 25.3 qha^-1 was obtained from the Dagim and Kora varieties respectively implying that an increment of about 7.8 qha^-1 yield advantage for Dagim and 4.5 qha^-1 for Kora variety over the zonal average productivity of the reporting year. Thus, it is important to conclude that the approaches in general and the technologies demonstrated in the respective districts, in particular, are promising in terms of increasing the production and productivity and hence contributing to the food security of farmers in the respective area. Therefore, the selected varieties should be scaled up in the target areas and other unaddressed areas with similar agroecology by involving all the concerned stakeholders at various levels, including government sectors, non-governmental organizations and other private sectors.

Keywords: Demonstration, LSD, Tef, Variety

DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/78-02

Publication date:March 31^st 2022