Performance of Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc) Trotter] Varieties Influenced by Soil Compaction and Sowing Dates in Toke Kutaye District in Ethiopia

Tef is the most cultivated crop in terms of area and second most produced crop after maize in Ethiopia. Soil compaction, inaccurate sowing date and shortage of high-yielding varieties are crucial problems in the study area. Therefore, this experiment was carried out during the main cropping season of 2021 to study the effects of soil compaction, sowing dates and tef varieties on yield and yield components of tef in Toke Kutaye district. The treatments included soil compaction (compacted and un-compacted soil), three sowing dates and three tef varieties such as [Dedefe (as standard check), Quncho and Dagim]. Treatments were factorially arranged and laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of the data indicated that days to 50% emergence, days to 50% panicle emergence, days to 90% physiological maturity and number of productive tillers of tef were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by main effect of soil compaction, sowing dates and varieties. Plant height, panicle length, total number of tillers, above-ground biomass yield, grain yield and straw yield of tef were significantly affected by the interaction of three factors. Highest plant height (124.26 cm), panicle length (36.26 cm), above-ground biomass yield (7.47 t ha-1), and grain yield (2.8 t ha-1) were recorded from un-compacted soil, in early sown Dagim variety. Therefore, farmers in the study area are advised to grow Dagim variety with July 15 sowing date without trampling the soil to improve tef production and yield. However, the experiment has to be repeated across locations and seasons to provide a reliable recommendation for improved tef production for similar agroecology.