Mineral Composition of Grain and Straw of Tef (Eragrostis tef) Grown on Vertisols

Tef grain and straw are important food and feed resources, respectively, in Ethiopia. Chemical analysis was carried out on tef grain and straw grown on Vertisols of three areas of the central and northern districts in Ethiopia in 2008. The grain and straw samples were analyzed from nitric acid- hydrogen peroxide digest using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICPAES) in Australia. Variability among districts in trends and concentrations of different elements of tef grain and straw were observed. The variability could be due to the differences in agro-ecology and soil mineral composition in the different districts. Even though there were some inconsistencies, chemical composition of tef grown in different agro-ecologies was similar. The current study serves to give basic information on the elemental concentration of tef grain and straw to researchers and professionals in tef mineral element composition and nutrition. Additional studies may require across soil types and using different varieties of tef to strengthen the quality of tef in terms of nutrient composition, and to give indications for further research on nutrients that are deficient in soils and plants.