title: The origins and progress of genomics research on Tef (Eragrostis tef).
abstract: Tef, Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter, is the most important cereal in Ethiopia. Tef is cultivated by more than five million small-scale farmers annually and constitutes the staple food for more than half of the population of 80 million. The crop is preferred by both farmers and consumers due to its beneficial traits associated with its agronomy and utilization. The genetic and phenotypic diversity of tef in Ethiopia is a national treasure of potentially global importance. In order for this diversity to be effectively conserved and utilized, a better understanding at the genomic level is necessary. In the recent years, tef has become the subject of genomic research in Ethiopia and abroad. Genomic-assisted tef improvement holds tremendous potential for improving productivity, thereby benefiting the smallholder farmers who have cultivated and relied on the crop for thousands of years. It is hoped that such research endeavours will provide solutions to some of the age-old problems of tef's husbandry. In this review, we provide a brief description of the genesis and progress of tef genomic research to date, suggest ways to utilize the genomic tools developed so far, discuss the potential of genomics to enable sustainable conservation and use of tef genetic diversity and suggest opportunities for the future research.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Dejene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Girma
authors.forename: Kebebew
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Assefa
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chanyalew
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cannarozzi
authors.forename: Cris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhlemeier
authors.forename: Zerihun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tadele
mesh_terms: D031750:Eragrostis / Q000235:genetics*; D023281:Genomics / Q000639:trends*; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*
keywords: Eragrostis tef; genetic markers; genomics; high-throughput approaches; tef