Effect of Method of Sowing on Yield and Yield Components of Tef (Eragrostis Tef (Zucc) Trotter) At Shebedino, Southern Ethiopia

Most farmers’ practices broadcast sowing method and productivity is less. Therefore, there is a need to determine proper sowing method recommendations for tef(Eragrostis tef (Zucc) Trotter). Accordingly, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of sowing method on yield and yield components of tef at Shebedino, Southern Ethiopia in 2012 cropping season.DZ-37 tef variety was used as a test crop. The experiment was done on planting method (row planting and broadcasting) and it arranged in Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with four replications. Row sowing had significantly affected days to heading and maturity, plant height , first growth rate, number of tiller and panicle, thousand seed weight, grain, straw and total biomass yields and harvest index. Days to emergence and panicle length were significantly affected by broadcasting. Meanwhile row sowing hastened heading and maturity by 1 day and increased growth rate by 23.46% than broadcasting; also row sowing had 10, 24.8 and 23.8% more panicles, grain and biomass yields respectively, than broadcasting. Row sowing was found to be economically acceptable with MRR of 627.7% with 6775.6Birr ha-1more income from grain yield than broadcasting. Therefore, row sowing and DAP application two days before planting could be recommended as an economically feasible choice for the study area.