Seed-Business Oriented Demonstration Trials: An Efficient Option to Promote Tef (Eragrostis tef ) Varieties

Tef (Eragrostis tef) is extensively cultivated by over 6.5 million smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. However, the productivity of the crop remains low mainly due to the limited use of improved technologies including seeds. In this study, three recently released and one old (as a check) tef varieties were evaluated on 254 lead farmers’ fields with the main aim of increasing farmers’ access to quality breed seeds. Each lead farmer was provided with breeder seeds of four improved tef varieties, namely Kora, Tesfa, Dagim, and Boset.The seed yield from the four tef varieties were comparable (Kora = 1.94, Tesfa = 2.31, Dagim =2.24 and Boset = 2.36 t ha-1). Given the input and output prices that prevail in the selected districts, the mean revenue was 65,355.90 Birr ha-1 while the mean production cost was 26,355.52 Birr ha-1. Among production costs, labor took for the lion’s share as it contributed to 58% of the total cost. In general, with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.5, our technology is highly profitable and attractive to farmers if newly released tef varieties are disseminated in the seed-business-oriented method.苔麸（Tef，学名Eragrostis tef）是埃塞俄比亚逾650万小农广泛种植的作物。然而，该作物单产始终偏低，核心制约因素为包括良种在内的改良技术推广应用不足。本研究选取3个新近审定品种与1个当地对照老品种，在254户示范农户的田块开展田间试验，核心目标为提升农户对优质育种家种子的可及性。每位示范农户获赠4个改良苔麸品种的育种家种子，分别为科拉（Kora）、特萨（Tesfa）、达吉姆（Dagim）与博塞特（Boset）。 4个苔麸品种的籽粒产量表现相近：科拉为1.94 t ha⁻¹、特萨为2.31 t ha⁻¹、达吉姆为2.24 t ha⁻¹、博塞特为2.36 t ha⁻¹。结合试点区域现行的投入品与农产品价格，试验田块的平均收益为65355.90埃塞俄比亚比尔（Birr）/公顷，平均生产成本为26355.52埃塞俄比亚比尔/公顷。在各项生产成本中，人工成本占比最高，贡献了总成本的58%。 总体而言，本研究评估的技术方案效益成本比为1.5，盈利性极强。若采用面向种业商业化的推广模式推广新近审定的苔麸品种，将对农户具备较强吸引力，推广价值突出。