Evaluation of tef (Eragrostis tef) cultivars for nitrogen use efficiency in Ethiopia

Tef is one of the major cereal crops in Ethiopia. The production of tef has been limited by both low nitrogen supply and the lack of N efficient cultivars. The objectives of this study was therefore to (1) examine the magnitude of genetic variability for N use efficiency, (2) examine the relationship between grain yield and N-related traits, (3) determine the relative importance of uptake and utilisation to variation in nitrogen use efficiency and grain yield, and (4) to quantify GxE interaction in several traits of N use efficiency. To answer these objectives twenty tef genotypes were studied in glasshouse (Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, BOKU) under zero N supply and 1g N/6 kg air dried soil/pot and in field under zero N supply, 40kg/ha and 80/ha N (for two years in Ethiopia). The glasshouse seedlings were harvested at 42 days after sowing and then shoot dry matter and N content were determined. For field experiments agronomic traits: days to flowering and maturity, panicle dry weight, panicle seed dry weight, plant height, and grain total dry weight, 100 seed weight and seed number per panicle as well as grain and straw N contents haven been determined.