Transcript Could Teff Be Used As An Alternative Crop?

Could Teff Be Used As An Alternative Crop?
By: Sene Gebre
Economic Botany
13, Mar. 2008
What is Teff ?
 Eragrostis tef
 Ancient in its origin (between4000-1000BC)
 Native to Ethiopian highlands of northeastern Africa
 Amharic word “Teffa” meaning “lost”
 Grass crop that produces grain
 Has seeds much smaller than wheat grain
Botany
 Family; Poeceae, and genus Eragrostis
 More than 300 species of the genus
 Annual cereal
 Grain contained in the spikelets
 Contains both the bran and germ
 Shallow and fibrous root system
 Mostly erect stems
 Monocot seeds
Uses
 Primarily cultivated & used in Ethiopia, India and
Australia.
 Primarily used as main ingredient for Injera (Ethiopian
bread)
 Injera provides two-thirds of the diet in Ethiopia
 Teff straw is used as forage
for animals such as cattles
Harvesting
 Threshing: separating teff grains from straw (left)
 Winnowing: Separating teff grains from their chaff (right)
 Teff flour is obtained by grinding after harvest
Types of Teff
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Three main flour types in Ethiopia
-White, Red and Brown teff flour
-White Teff
* preferred type
* most expensive
-Red teff
*least expensive
*has higher Iron content
-Brown teff
*moderate Iron content
-
Preparation of Injera
 Mixing Flour with water
 Fermentation process for few days
 Baking batter on electric stove or
traditional clay plate placed on fire
*Injera is eaten daily nearly
in every household in Ethiopia.
*Injera can be compared to
pancakes or tortillas
Nutrition
 Nearly gluten free
 Good for people with Celiac disease
 High in Iron and essential amino-acids
 Iron: carrier of oxygen in the form of hemoglobin
 Iron from Teff easily absorbed by the body
 Lysine levels higher than wheat or barley
 Essential amino-acid
 Metabolized to acetyl-CoA
As An Alternative Crop
 Introduction to other countries (U.S., S.Africa.)
 Wayne Carlson
 The Teff company in Idaho
 Grows in water clogged soils and environment
with moisture stress.
Conclusion
- Can be used along with wheat and barley grains
- provides the body with essential amino acids
- Not much research has been done on Teff because it is not
a popular plant in the world.
- With enough research performed on its nutrition, Teff could be
used as an alternative crop to other cereals.
References
 http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-231.html
 www.rrc.ksu.edu/DesktopModules/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=225
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teff
http://www.teffco.com/teff_history.html
http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/Pdf/279.pdf
http://ethnomed.org/ethnomed/cultures/ethiop/teff.html
Thank You for your attention!