Reduction of genetic integrity of Tef [Eragrostis tef ((Zuccagni) Trotter)] landraces and its root causes in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Tef is one of the most multi-purpose cereal crops, grown by Ethiopian farmers for food and nutritional security and income generation. The study aimed to assess the reduction of genetic integrity for tef landraces and associated factors in East Gojjam Zone. The data were collected by a semi-structured questionnaire with a purposive selection of 267 farmers based on their age and farming experience. Out of 267 farmers 78% of them were more than 45 years old. Of the 22 identified total tef landraces, only 32% and 27.1% of the landraces were exclusively grown in Enemay and Shebel Berenta district, respectively. The rest 40.9% of them were cultivated in common in both districts. The estimated genetic erosion of tef landraces was found to be 65.5% in Enemay followed by that of Shebel Berenta 60%. Expanding and favouring the growing of improved tef varieties on much wider areas contributed to replacing the tef landraces. The major causes for shifting from landrace to the modern varieties were water lodging, susceptibility to diseases and pests, low productivity, market access and climate change. Only 8 landraces were under cultivation and the remaining 14 were eroded from the district(s) constituting the highest (63.64%) combined genetic erosion, suggesting loss of important agronomic traits and, thus, a major bottleneck for further improvement and conservation plans. Thus, attention should be given to tef conservation by the government and other concerned bodies in providing strategies that enable farmers to cultivate both landraces and improved varieties side by side.