New Grass Has Benefits, Drawbacks - Allan Vyhnalek Newscolumn Week of April 28, 2008
Teff is an annual, summer cereal and hay crop originally from Ethiopia. It has rapid seed germination, fast growth and is well adapted to dry climates. However, teff has virtually no tolerance for freezing temperatures. Thus it needs to be planted between mid-May and early August in this region.
For most farms and ranches, teff is an alternative to growing foxtail millets such as German and Siberian millet or sorghum-sudangrass. Compared to these grasses, teff is much leafier and finer-stemmed and develops even quicker. It often starts to head in 50 to 60 days.
As a single cutting at heading, teff won't yield as much as other summer grasses. Research in Nebraska during 2007 shows that single cuts of teff may produce two to three tons per acre while millets and sorghums produced three to five tons. But teff grows rapidly, so five to six tons can be achieved with two or three cuts.
Teff contains more crude protein and total digestible nutrients than most commonly used summer grasses. However, its protein level is heavily influenced by available nitrogen. It could be a good crop to recover excess nitrates, but teff might not do as well on low-fertility soils.
Teff has very tiny seeds. Be careful when using a drill since it needs to be planted no more than one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch deep. On tilled ground, a cultipacker seeder or even broadcasting works better than a drill.
Experience shows that teff makes excellent horse hay and also is well liked by cattle, sheep and other livestock. Don’t gamble an entire farm on it, but teff might be worth a try.
Dr. Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist provided the information used in this week's column.
For more information or assistance, please contact Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Extension in Platte County. Phone: 402-563-4901 or e-mail AVYHNALEK2@unl.edu .
