Posted on February, 9, 2022 at 06:08 am
Kenyan farmers will soon be able to grow teff crop which is used to make injera, a popular Ethiopian cuisine.
Injera is a sour fermented flatbread which is traditionally made of teff flour and it is common among communities in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan.
This is thanks to researchers at the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation-Katumani.
The researchers have developed 10 teff varieties which are in the process of registration following validation trials in parts of Northern Kenya.
The varieties include Marsabit-1, Marsabit-2, Lusike white, KisTeff-1, AilaRed, KIM-1, KIM-2, KisTeff-2, KIB-26 and KIB-27.
Kalro deputy director general Felister Makini said teff has recently become a popular health food in the global market.
She said it is considered a super food because of its high nutritive value. It is rich in iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
Makini said the crop is tolerant to pests and diseases and adapts well to various cropping systems and rotation schemes.
“It has a long shelf life even under traditional storage systems and has minimal post-harvest loses since the grains suffer less from storage pests such as weevils.
"The crop matures in 45-60 days thus playing a critical role in building resilience among the farming communities especially in the ASAL region,” she said.
Makini added that teff is a quick fix for holding down bare soil thus minimising erosion and is a cheap source of livestock feed.
Rachel Kisilu, a plant breeder at Kalro-Katumani, said the crop originated from Ethiopia where it is a major crop.
She said teff is a potential crop which is drought tolerant, early maturing, highly nutritive and can also be used as fodder for animals.
“The varieties seek to address the challenge where farmers are realising low yields of 0.12 tonnes per acre. But the crop has high potential where some varieties can give up to 1.6 tonnes per acre, as it is happening in Ethiopia,” Kisilu said.
The breeder said some of the farmers constrains besides low yields are lack of quality seeds.
She said teff crop has no seed system and that there are no improved varieties in Kenya.
This is the first time scientists are going to release teff varieties for the farming community in the country.
“Through that, we will have a good seed system where farmers will now be able to access quality seeds of the improved varieties. This will help them increase their yields," Kisilu said.
Source: The Star