Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online) Vol.5, No.5, 2015 195 Determination of Row Spacing and Fertilizer Rate for Transplant Planting Methods on the Growth and Yield of Teff in Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia Amare Aleminew* Adane Legas Sirinka Agricultural Research Center, P. O. Box 74, Woldia, Ethiopia E-mail of the corresponding author: amarealemnew@yahoo.com Abstract Teff row spacing by fertilizer rate for transplant planting methods experiment was conducted from the year 2012 to 2013 at Sirinka Agricultural Research Center station on red and black soil condition. The objective of the experiment was to assess the advantages of transplant planting methods over broadcast seeding system of teff for Eastern Amhara Region. The experiment was designed in factorial randomized complete block consisting of two fertilizer levels (F1-50/100 kg urea/DAP ha -1 and F2-100/100 kg urea/DAP ha -1 ) and four row spacing (15, 20, 25 and 30 cm) and broadcast planting with 25 kg ha -1 seeding rate was included as a control. The result revealed that the highest grain yield (2858 and 3194 kg ha -1 ) was obtained with the lowest row spacing (15 cm x 15 cm) on black soil for the years 2012 and 2013, respectively. Mean combined analysis of the two years data also showed these facts. Therefore, application of 15cm row spacing by 15cm plant spacing and 15 to 30cm row spacing by 15cm plant spacing were recommended to teff transplanting method for both black and red soil conditions, respectively. Fertilizer rate of 50 kg urea ha -1 and 100 kg DAP ha -1 were recommended to black soil conditions while fertilizer rate for red soil condition needs further study at on-farm conditions since this experiment was conducted on-station. Keywords: black soil, red soil, row spacing, teff, transplant planting 1. Introduction Teff (Eragrostis tef /zucc./Trotter) belonging to the grass family poaceae, it is one of the most important cereal crops in Amhara region that occupies 33.5%, the cultivated land area under cereals and 27.7% of the whole area cultivated to annual field crops by covering about two million hectares of land annually (CSA, 2010). Teff is resistant to extreme water conditions, as it is able to grow under both drought and waterlogged conditions (Teklu and Tefera 2005; Minten et al., 2013). Combined with its low vulnerability to pest and diseases, it is considered a low risk crop (Fufa et al., 2011; Minten et al., 2013). However, productivity of the current cultivars in Amhara region is very low, 12.8 q ha -1 under traditional practices (CSA, 2010). Although, research efforts in the last few decades developed important technologies to overcome production constraints and increase productivity (Seyfu Ketema, 1993), it has not yet been raised to satisfactory level as compared to its yield potential. Teff is a C 4 , self-pollinated annual grass, 40–80cm tall (Dejene et al., 2012). Amongst the factors that contributing to low productivity of the crop are lodging, poor crop management practices, low soil fertility, insect pests and weeds are some of the major once (Ermias et al., 2007). Development of improved and appropriate agronomic practices (seeding rate, seeding methods, seedbed preparation, fertilizer rate and time of application) would greatly contribute for higher productivity of the crop Tarekegne (2010). The most common way of planting teff is by broadcasting method ranged at the seed rate of 25-50 kg ha -1 . Due to its high seeding rate the yield of the crop could not expressed as its potential. However, there is some evidence that increase the productivity of the crop by reducing the seed rate and planting by row or transplanting methods (Berhe et al., 2011; Fufa et al., 2011). These tests were conducted in the off-season under irrigation in DebreZeit Research Center (DRC), the results of the preliminary work stated that planting of teff by row and transplanted system obtained higher grain yield (about 51q ha -1 ) as compared to the standard broadcasting planting system (10 q ha -1 ) Tarekegne (2010), this is a four-fold increase. Similarly, reported teff yield could be improved by two to three-folds in rows rather than random broadcast sowing. By row planting or transplanting the seeds, land management and especially weeding can also be done more readily and the incidence of lodging is reduced (Berhe et al., 2011; Chanyalew and Assefa, 2013). Therefore, to confirm earlier preliminary findings and to determine appropriate agronomic practices (row spacing and fertilizer rate) and for increasing the productivity of teff on black and red soils at Sirinka, this research was initiated. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Description of the Study Area The experiment was carried out on black and red soils at Sirinka on-station of Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia during the main cropping season (June–September) of two consecutive years (2012 and 2013). Sirinka is located at 11 o 45' 00" North latitude and 39 36' 36" East longitude. The altitude of the experimental area is 1850 m a.s.l.