Wondering about Teff, the "Wonder" Grass.

Another name for teff is love grass. Everyone we have talked to that has tried it loves it, so its name is a fitting one. It can be used for grazing, hay, or chopped into silage. Our farm friends rave about how fast teff germinates. Three days and it is up and growing. A challenge is not planting it too deep. Recommended seeding depth is no more than ¼ inch at a rate of 4 to 5 pounds. But, we have heard that a farmer planted it two inches deep by mistake, and it still yielded a great hay crop.

Teff is one tough plant, but in a good way. As hay, animals love it --- even finicky equines. When planted and harvested right, its crude protein is generally between 15 and 16%. We figure our Hereford cattle will have no problems digging into bales of teff when our pastures quit growing. We might even try no-tilling it into some of our older pastures where the bluegrass has burned out the past two years. Teff is an aggressive competitor, according to Extension, so it should be able to fill in where our cool-season grasses fall short during the hot weather.

While it tolerates dry conditions as a warm season grass, it also tolerates waterlogged soils. Not many plants are adaptable to both ends of the moisture pendulum. Since we have fields that are shallow and dry, with wet spots and springs presenting drainage issues for plants, teff seems to be the answer to our cropland challenges. It appreciates nitrogen to get jump started. But, in comparison to other forages, teff is relatively low maintenance. As we watch the bottom line on this year’s feed costs, the idea of maximizing stored hay with fewer input costs is most welcome considering the escalating prices of fertilizer.

Since teff freezes out in the fall after a killing frost, I am less nervous about this “wonder grass” becoming a weed pest in the future. We have all heard the tales of new crops becoming new problems when they didn’t prove to be economically or environmentally beneficial. This grass will give us a reasonable alternative on rented ground when we want to give it a rest from no-till corn yet justify the lease payments on that acreage. This new idea has lots of promise for its conservation benefits, along with yields and nutrient value.

While not much has been studied on no-tilling teff, we will be drilling it that way rather than preparing a conventional seed bed. The firmer ground should help us keep from getting the seed too deep, and the trash on top will help build organic matter and protect the land from erosion. Since we farm some hills, no-till farming helps us do our part for conserving soil. Saving fuel with fewer trips is another benefit, especially as we see the price per gallon soaring every week.

I’ve read that teff can be planted throughout the months of June and July and still have terrific yields. It can follow winter grain harvest in rotations. First harvest can be expected in 50 to 55 days, and then every 40 to 45 days after that until frost. Trials have yielded 2 tons of forage dry matter per acre with neutral detergent fiber figures of 60.7% from 128 tested samples. If it isn’t fed, teff can be plowed down as a green manure.