In cereals stem characters such as plant height, culm thickness and diameter and the
number of internodes and their length are among the factors known to modulate
lodging tolerance , a key trait in the development of high yielding tef varieties.
Knowledge of the relationship between stem characters and lodging has significant
implications with respect to designing sound breeding strategies for tef Eragrostis
tef )), a staple cereal crop for millions of people in Ethiopia . Previous studies were
limited mainly to plant height and the diameter of the two basal culm internodes. With
the aim of expanding this knowledge by exploring additional stem characters one
hundred tef landraces were studied at three different experimental sites and
affirmative evidence was obtained showing that in addition to plant height the length
of internodes and peduncle are apt to breeding lodging tolerance in tef.
