Teff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Teff
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eragrostis
Species:	tef
Synonyms
Eragrostis abyssinica (Jacq.) Link

Teff, also known as Williams lovegrass, is a type of grass that grows every year. It comes from a region in Africa called the Horn of Africa, especially Ethiopia. People grow teff for its tiny, edible seeds. Teff was one of the first plants ever farmed by humans. It's a very important food in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

What is Teff?

Teff is a type of grass that produces seeds. It's a plant that grows well in hot, dry places. The name "teff" might come from an Amharic word meaning "lost." This probably refers to its super tiny seeds, which are smaller than 1 millimeter across!

Teff plants have thin stems and many shoots. Their roots are not deep, but they have a lot of small, strong roots. The height of the plant changes depending on the type of teff and where it grows. Teff is very adaptable. It can grow in dry areas and even in wet, poor soils.

Where Does Teff Grow?

Teff first grew in the Horn of Africa, which is now Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is one of the most important grains there. People grow it for its edible seeds and also for its straw, which is used to feed animals.

The seeds are very small, about a millimeter long. A thousand seeds weigh only about 0.3 grams! They can be white or a deep reddish-brown color. Teff is similar to millet and quinoa for cooking. But its seeds are much smaller and cook faster, so they use less fuel.

Main Growing Areas

Teff is mostly grown in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it started. It's a main food crop in these countries. People use it to make a flatbread called injera. In 2016, Ethiopia grew more than 90% of the world's teff.

Now, teff is also grown in small amounts in India, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States. Because its seeds are so small, a small handful is enough to plant a large area. This made teff good for people who moved around a lot in the past.

History of Teff

Teff was one of the first plants that humans started farming. Experts believe teff began growing in Eritrea and Ethiopia between 4000 BC and 1000 BC. Scientists think a wild grass called Eragrostis pilosa is its closest ancestor.

Teff is very important in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The flatbread called injera helps about 6.5 million small farmers earn a living. In 2006, the Ethiopian government stopped exporting raw teff. They worried that selling too much abroad would leave not enough for people in their own country. This had happened to other countries with crops like quinoa.

However, processed teff, like injera, could still be exported. Ethiopians and Eritreans living in other countries often bought it. After some years, the government was less worried about shortages. Teff harvests had grown by 40% to 50% in five years, and prices stayed steady in Ethiopia. So, in 2015, the government allowed some teff to be exported again. To make sure there was still enough teff at home, only 48 new commercial farmers were given export licenses.

It's hard to export more teff because there aren't enough machines for farming it. But the demand for teff is growing by 7-10% each year. This encourages Ethiopia to modernize its farming and do more research. Because teff could be a big success, some other countries, like the US and parts of Europe, are now growing it too.

How Teff is Used

Injera served in a typical Ethiopian dish

Teff (small grains) and sorghum (large grains), ingredients for tella

Teff is a very useful crop for the Ethiopian diet and culture. In Ethiopia, teff provides two-thirds of the daily protein intake. It's important not only for people to eat, but also as food for farm animals and even as a building material.

Teff is the main ingredient for injera, a soft, flatbread. People often eat injera with meat or ground beans. Sometimes, teff is also eaten as a hot porridge. Teff can also be used to make alcoholic drinks like arak'e or katikalla, or a beer called t'ella or fersso. Because teff has many minerals, it's also mixed with soybeans or chickpeas to make baby food.

Farmers in Ethiopia say that people prefer white teff over darker kinds. Teff is also good food for animals. In Ethiopia, it feeds cows and other animals that chew their cud. In the United States, it's used for horses. It's especially helpful for feeding animals during the dry season. Teff grass can even be mixed with mud to plaster walls of storage buildings.

Teff and its Environment

Teff can grow in many different places, from sea level up to 3,200 meters (about 10,500 feet) high. However, it cannot handle frost or very cold temperatures. The best harvests happen when teff grows between 1,800 to 2,100 meters (about 5,900 to 6,900 feet) high. It needs about 450 to 550 millimeters (18 to 22 inches) of rain each year. Daily temperatures should be between 15 to 27 °C (59 to 81 °F).

If the rainfall drops below 250 millimeters (10 inches) or the average temperature during flowering goes above 22 °C (72 °F), the harvests will be smaller. Even though its roots are not deep, teff is quite good at surviving dry periods. This is because it can grow back quickly after a little water stress and produce seeds fast. It grows best with about 12 hours of daylight. Teff usually grows in soils that are not too acidic or too basic, but it can also grow in slightly acidic soils.

How Teff is Farmed

Fields of teff, Oromia, Ethiopia. Oct '19

Traditional teff harvesting in Ethiopia. Oct '07

Growing teff takes a lot of work. Its tiny seeds are hard to handle and move without losing them. In Ethiopia, most teff is grown during the main rainy season, from July to November. It's known as an "emergency crop" because it can be planted later in the season when it's warmer, after most other crops are already in the ground.

Teff seeds usually sprout 3 to 12 days after planting. The best temperature for sprouting is between 15–35 °C (59–95 °F). Below 10 °C (50 °F), almost no seeds will sprout. Farmers traditionally spread teff seeds by hand on firm, moist soil. They usually plant 15 to 20 kilograms per hectare. Some farmers plant up to 50 kilograms per hectare because the seeds are hard to spread evenly. More seeds help to reduce weeds when the plants are young.

The seeds are either left on the soil surface or covered with a very thin layer of soil. They should not be planted deeper than 1 centimeter. The field can then be rolled. Planting with machines in rows can help prevent the plants from falling over.

Farmers often add fertilizer to teff fields. Teff responds more to nitrogen than to phosphorus. Too much nitrogen can make the plants grow too big and fall over. To avoid this, farmers can use less nitrogen, plant teff after a legume crop (like beans), or plant it so that the rains stop when the plant is ready to make seeds. In Ethiopia, teff is often grown in a rotation with other grains and legumes.

Teff threshed by using animals walking on the harvest

Teff is harvested 2 to 6 months after planting, when the green parts start to turn yellow. If teff is harvested too late, the seeds will fall off, especially in windy or rainy weather. In Ethiopia, the harvest is from November to January. Farmers usually cut the plants by hand with sickles. They pile them up in the field and take them to an area for threshing.

Traditionally, teff is threshed by having animals walk on the harvested plants. Some farmers also rent machines used for other grains. Teff seeds are easy to store because they are resistant to most pests. Teff seeds can stay good for several years if kept away from moisture and direct sun. In Ethiopia, the average harvest is about two tonnes per hectare. One single flower head can produce up to 1,000 seeds, and one plant can produce up to 10,000 seeds!

Scientists are also working to improve teff. The first map of the teff genome (its genetic code) was made in 2014. Research groups have started choosing types of teff that are stronger and more resistant to problems. In 1996, the United States National Research Council said that teff could "improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare."

Challenges and Improvements

The main challenges in growing teff are its low yield (how much it produces) and how easily it falls over. Scientists have been trying to breed teff for higher yields since the 1950s. This has led to a small increase in yield each year. However, not much progress has been made in stopping it from falling over. This is partly because there hasn't been a lot of demand for teff outside of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

New types of teff that produce a lot, like 'Quencho', have been widely used by farmers in Ethiopia. By studying the teff genome, scientists have been able to create a new, shorter type of teff called 'kegne' that doesn't fall over as easily. In 2015, researchers tested 28 new types of teff. They found three promising ones that produced up to 4.7 tonnes per hectare.

A project called the "Teff Improvement Project" released the first new teff type, 'Tesfa', to Ethiopian markets in March 2017. Future goals include:

• Making teff produce even more.
• Solving the problem of plants falling over.
• Finding ways to manage crops and soil that work well with the climate.
• Making teff more resistant to dry weather and acidic soil.
• Developing machines for planting and harvesting that small farmers can use.
• Learning more about how teff can be used in food and nutrition.
• Protecting teff from diseases, insects, and weeds.
• Improving support services for farmers.

Pests that Affect Teff

The tef shoot fly (Atherigona hyalinipennis) is a major insect pest that harms teff crops.

How Healthy is Teff?

Uncooked teff is about 9% water, 73% carbohydrates, 13% protein, and 2% fat. Cooked teff is mostly water (75%), with 20% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and less than 1% fat.

A 100-gram (about 3.5-ounce) serving of cooked teff gives you 101 calories. It's a great source of protein, fiber, and manganese. It also has good amounts of thiamin, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Teff has more fiber than most other grains.

Teff is naturally gluten-free. Scientists have found a way to make teff flour that works well for baking things like bread and pasta.

Teff and Patents

In 2003, a Dutch company called Health and Performance Food International (HPFI) worked with the Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity Conservation. Their goal was to bring teff to European markets. The plan was for Ethiopia to provide HPFI with different types of teff to sell around the world. They agreed to share the money they made.

However, HPFI's CEO, Jan Roosjen, took out two patents on teff in 2003 and 2007. He claimed that his ways of milling and storing the flour were special. HPFI went out of business in 2009. This allowed Roosjen to keep using those patents and selling rights for teff. He was no longer bound by the original agreement with Ethiopia. Ethiopia only received 4,000 euros over five years of working together.

Later, Roosjen sued a Dutch bakery company for using teff in their baked goods, saying they were breaking his patent. But the Dutch patent office said that the patent was not valid. They stated that the methods used to bake and mix flours were "general professional knowledge." Roosjen did not appeal this decision by 2019. This officially allowed Ethiopia to sell teff in Dutch markets.

However, Roosjen's company, Ancientgrains BV, still holds patent rights in Belgium, Germany, Britain, Austria, and Italy. Teff is a very important part of Ethiopia's culture and identity. The Ethiopian government wants to hold Roosjen responsible and get back control over the international markets for its most important food.

See also

In Spanish: Teff para niños