Effect of Seed Rate on Yield and Yield Components of Tef ((Eragrostic Tef) Trotter) at Konso and Arbaminch, Southern Ethiopia

Field experiment was conducted during 2015 and 2016 cropping season to determine the optimum seed rate to enhance growth and yield of tef on Konso and Arbaminch zuria woreda, Southern Ethiopia. Five seeding rates (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 kg ha -1 ) were arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. Seed rate had significantly affected plant height, number of tiller, total biomass, straw yield, grain yields. But days to emergency, days to heading, maturity and harvest index had not significantly affected. Seeding with the rate of 5 kg ha -1 had contributes 9.88cm increment in height than seeded with the rate of 25 kg ha -1 and it has been enhancing the number of tillers by 15 %, 31%, 42% and 34% compared with seed rate sown in 10, 15, 20 and 25 kg ha -1 respectively. Additionally use of 5kg ha -1 seed rate contributed to enhanced the aboveground dry biomass yield of 9%,15.6%,27.3% and 27.4% over 10kg ha -1 ,15kg ha -1 ,20kg ha -1 and 25kg ha -1 respectively. Tef sown with the rate of 25 kg ha -1 minimized thousand seed weight by 28 % comparing with seed rate sown by 5 kg ha -1 . Tef which, sown with the seed rate of 5 were increased grain yield significantly by 12.3 %, 29%, 29.5% and 31.7% than seeded at the rate of 10, 15, 20 and 25 kg ha -1 respectively. Use of seed rate 5kg ha -1 resulted in the maximum grain yields of the crop at shelle (1.83 tone ha -1 ), but not significantly different as compared to gumayde (1.79 tone ha -1 ), respectively. It could, thus, be concluded that cultivating tef at the seed rates of 5kg ha -1 at both location is most important economical for smallholder farmers in the study area. Keywords: Tef, Seed rate, Grain yield