Teff: A hay crop you can count on

By Petrus van Rooyen, product manager: pasture crops, Pannar Seed

The use of hay and pasture crops to optimise livestock production has long been an established practice in South Africa. Whether used for grazing or for haymaking, these crops can also double as a supplementary feed source. In this regard, teff and lucerne are well-known stalwarts.

As an annual summer crop, teff (Eragrostis tef) is undoubtedly the most popular hay crop cultivated by livestock producers, but it can also serve as a grazing crop. In fact, teff can rightly be regarded as the best annual hay and pasture crop in South Africa.

Rooiberg and Witkop cultivars
Pannar’s teff cultivars, Rooiberg and Witkop, are based on the SA Brown cultivar, and although both are known for the large volume of material they produce, the crops are easy to cut and gather. Both cultivars are suitable for producing high-quality hay, but due to its excellent standability, Witkop can also double as a grazing cultivar.

Rooiberg and Witkop share very similar traits. Rooiberg’s seed head (inflorescence) is light green in colour and the grain is brown. It flowers later than SA Brown and is very popular as hay for horses.

Witkop is an excellent hay crop and grain cultivar, with great potential for grain production. The seed head is purple in colour with creamy white grain. Witkop has broader leaves than other cultivars and has a very strong root system, making it suitable for grazing.

Thanks to its well-developed root system, Witkop is more drought tolerant, while as a cover crop its roots also deposit large amounts of organic material in the soil. Witkop has exceptional regrowth and is more rust resistant than SA Brown.

Cultivation and haymaking
Because the leaves are fine, teff is very popular as a hay crop. Teff hay has a high nutritional value and, depending on the growth stage at which it is cut, its protein content tends to vary between 15 and 25%.

The period from establishment to the first cut can be as short as six weeks. After cutting, the material dries off quickly and can be baled quickly. This reduces the risk of rain damaging the quality of the hay.

Teff can produce two to three cuts per season. Its protein content is at its highest shortly before going to seed, which is also the best time to cut. Since it is a lush growing crop, it is advisable to cut teff before it starts to lodge.

The optimal planting window is from September to November, as soon as the soil temperature reaches 15°C. Some 15kg of seed per hectare is needed to establish teff. Seeds can be planted with a teff planter or broadcasted. The crop grows actively in summer until the end of March, after which growth begins to decline once cooler weather sets in. The crop dies off at the onset of winter.

Teff can be grown in almost any soil. However, it is sensitive to residual atrazine (applied as a herbicide in the previous crop), especially in soils with a high clay content.

Although fertiliser promotes growth, teff’s nutritional requirements are quite low. Potassium (K) application is key, and 150kg K/ha should be applied for every 10t/ha of dry matter removed from the field. The crop also responds well to a top dressing of nitrogen (N).

Many livestock producers cut teff twice during the growing season for hay production, after which their livestock graze the regrowth in autumn. Teff can also be utilised before it dries down in wrapped silage bales.

For more information, contact Petrus van Rooyen on 082 822 6438 or petrus.vanrooyen@pannar.co.za