Abstract            Volume:10  Issue-4  Year-2022         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is the major food crop in Ethiopia where it is annually cultivated on more than three million hectares of land and with the total of over 6.87millon holders but its average productivity of 1.88t/ha which is lower than its potential productivity which might be due to low genetic potential of local cultivars, low adoption of improved varieties, absence of improved seed from known sources and biotic and a biotic stresses. Tef research started before five decades and more than fifty varieties were released from the research system through hybridization and through pure-line and/or mass selection from farmers' varieties (germplasm). Even though numerous varieties have been released by the national agricultural research system, only few varieties have been widely adopted by the farming community based on their agro ecological suitability as adapted for optimum rainfall areas, for drought prone areas and suitable for optimum rainfall areas. Quality early generation seed production and supply is important for increasing production of the users. Based on this the research centers and public seed enterprises are involved in the production and supply of EGS. Debrezeit Agricultural research center is mandated as national coordinator for tef research program and EGS of most tef varieties were produced and supplied from this center. Breeder seed, Pre basic seed and basic seed are mainly considered as EGS and mainly supplied for certified seed producers who produces certified seed in large quantities and distributed to farmers for grain production. This day the demand for improved seed at different stages is increasing and the government focuses to meet the seed demand for further increase production. To encourage seed producers the government developed national seed policy, seed laws, regulations and seed standards under which seed producers and inspectors were guided in the course of seed production. In addition to the public institutions the involvement of private partners has to be promoted to address the increasing demand for improved seed.

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