# why teff?



## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Im a bit confused now. Why do you guys plant teff at 3.35 a pound every year when you can spend the same for good alfalfa timothy mix or something comparable and it last 3 to 5 years?


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I'm only planting Teff one year as a rotational crop between alfalfa crops. No way would I plant Teff every year in the same field even though I seem to have found what could be reliable customers for it.


----------



## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Ok I wasnt sure if it was done every year. We usually seed down with a cereal crop for alfalfa but your way makes sense to because your still getting hay when im not


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Ontario hay mab said:


> Im a bit confused now. Why do you guys plant teff at 3.35 a pound every year when you can spend the same for good alfalfa timothy mix or something comparable and it last 3 to 5 years?


It's gonna cost around $25 acre to seed Teff for 1 yr.

For a good alfalfa grass mix you are looking at $80-100

Teff seed is small and don't take as many lbs per acre compared to alfalfa.

$3.35 seems high priced to me.Coated or uncoated?


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

swmnhay said:


> It's gonna cost around $25 acre to seed Teff for 1 yr.
> 
> For a good alfalfa grass mix you are looking at $80-100
> 
> ...


That's about what Teff was selling for around here Cy. You were much cheaper.


----------



## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Thats just a figure I was told by abother guy on here I was just wondering because I thought guys plant it every year. I was thinking of trying it I dont even no if it will grow up here. What I was getting at was it wouldnt be economical to plant it year after year but now that I no you dont it makes sense. Can you seed down alfalfa with teff so alfalfa takes over next year when teff is done?


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I wouldn't in my area. Mostly because by the time the Teff is ready to cut the first time the new alfalfa seedings wouldn't be ready. Also I don't believe I would like to mix the seeds in my seeder since both have to come out of the small seeds box. Either the Teff or the Alfalfa wouldn't be a good even stand I don't think. Teff gets pretty thick also. In my area also you can and should plant alfalfa the end of April to middle of May due to the soil temperature being to low. Teff needs to be planted between the 20th of May to after the 1st of June I think. At least from my experience this year. Likewise planting Teff into a thin stand of alfalfa wouldn't work in my area. By the time you could plant the Teff the alfalfa can be 3-4 inches tall.


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Well, first, this is my first year at teff. I did it as a rest crop on a field that I was having trouble getting a stand of Timothy in.

Second, everyones situation is different-take Teslan who is sitting there with a big spigot on demand and dry air on demand-he can grow his choice of hay crops and have a real good chance and making good hay each time. We and as many others have commented on have very unpredictable showers and high humidity so alfalfa in dry bales is difficult. Many here have gone to green chop alfalfa which works great for cows but not for the horse hay business. Our main hay crops here OG, Tim Fescue and Alfalfa are all ready to cut premium in early may, but you can't make hay in early may normally. So we are looking for ways to stretch out hay making to fall on warmer dryer weather.


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Hayman1 said:


> Well, first, this is my first year at teff. I did it as a rest crop on a field that I was having trouble getting a stand of Timothy in.
> 
> Second, everyones situation is different-take Teslan who is sitting there with a big spigot on demand and dry air on demand-he can grow his choice of hay crops and have a real good chance and making good hay each time. We and as many others have commented on have very unpredictable showers and high humidity so alfalfa in dry bales is difficult. Many here have gone to green chop alfalfa which works great for cows but not for the horse hay business. Our main hay crops here OG, Tim Fescue and Alfalfa are all ready to cut premium in early may, but you can't make hay in early may normally. So we are looking for ways to stretch out hay making to fall on warmer dryer weather.


Not quite a big spigot on demand or dry air on demand. I suspect that after I get the 2nd cutting Teff off we won't have water to irrigate. And I'm slightly worried about rain showers during the next week. I'm cutting 2nd cutting teff today. But much drier here then even 250 miles east of here that's for sure. Ontario I'm not sure what your area is like, but it took awhile for my Teff to get started. One of the reasons I think is that it gets pretty cold here at night in the spring and even right now we drop into the upper 50 degrees every night. Colder in the last part of May and first part of June.


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Teslan- my third cutting is due about the 20th of Aug. It was much slower to come back than the second cutting after first. Interested to know how yours comes back. This season has not been restricted by lack of soil moisture here so not sure how Teff will do here in normal years with less water. I know it is supposed to be very drought tollerant, but we'll see.

Cut second about 2 wks ago and just in the last day or so is the teff shooting up above the barnyard grass, goose grass and crab grass. But, heck if you cut it when it is short, it is all nice green hay and animals love it.


----------



## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

Teslan said:


> ...Ontario I'm not sure what your area is like, but it took awhile for my Teff to get started. One of the reasons I think is that it gets pretty cold here at night in the spring and even right now we drop into the upper 50 degrees every night. Colder in the last part of May and first part of June.


Teslan you a correct about the slow start on your teff. Teffs early vigor leaves something to be desired, for the first 2-4 weeks it is generally slow and weak. That's why it sometimes struggles in interseeding situations, and when near perfect weed control is not done before planting.

I have planted and sold teff seed since before Tiffany was introduced as a brand, and over the years the general consensus has been that it is just slower at higher elevations and more northerly latitudes, due especially to the night time temperature conditions that you noted. Although it handles those cooler night time temperatures better than most summer annual forage grasses. Sudangrass runs a close second for handling cooler temps.

There doesn't seem to be much difference in cool weather tolerance of the currently available varieties, but I am sure that is something that could be selected and bred for.

The coatings used up to this time on Teff have been only carrier products to bulk up the seed to make seeding rate calibration easier, but have been suspected in hindering establishment in some situations. There was a new teff variety released this past year with a proprietary seed coating, that in trials, has shown to improve establishment and early vigor. In talking with a few other seed growers and suppliers, we are likely to see at least one similar coating available in the next year or two. I have never been a fan of coated teff seed, as it just increased costs with little or no benefit. I was able to get a little of the Moxie teff with Yellow Jacket coating out for comparison. Hopefully these new seed enhancing coatings will be all they are supposed to be, time will tell.


----------



## blainalbin (Jun 14, 2011)

ontario hay man said:


> I was thinking of trying it I dont even no if it will grow up here.


Did you ever give it try? I'm also in Southern Ontario and was thinking of trying it next spring. Has anyone else in Ontario or NE US had any experience growing teff and making dry hay from it?


----------



## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

Any thoughts of rotating teff behind milo? Looking for a rotation to fit with milo in my area of western Kansas. We are too dry for beans/corn and don't like the idea of sunflowers, as they drain all the subsoil.


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Teff uses about the same amount of water as alfalfa does but doesn't have as deep of roots. So if alfalfa grows ok on those milo fields then maybe Teff would also.


----------

