Monday, November 13, 2006
63-16

Determining Optimal Planting Depth and Temperature for Teff.

Sarah Evertt, Scott Staggenborg, and Brian Olson. Kansas State University, 2004 Throckmorton Plant Sci. Ctr, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America

Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is an annual C4 grass that is native to Ethiopia and is classified as an intermediate between tropical and temperate grasses. Teff is also related to of love grass or bunch grass.  Teff is not widely grown in North America, and little is known about its best management practices.  Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature and planting depth on seedling emergence.  Dry weight production and emergence were measured at five depths (0, 0.6, 1.3, 2.5, and 5 cm) and four temperatures (15-19 °C, 19-23 °C, 23-27 °C, and 27-31 °C) and placed in a growth chamber.  At twenty-one DAP, plants were counted and above ground biomass was removed, dried, and weighed.  These results indicate optimal planting depth is between 0.6-2.5 cm.  Temperatures did not influence final plant population or biomass production.

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