However, teff yield potential can be fully achieved only when applying appropriate sowing and plant curation (Ben-Zeev et al. Its current average productivity is well below its genetic potential: improved cropping technologies in non-lodging conditions can result in yields exceeding 4.5 t ha −1 (Tefera and Ketema 2001), more than double the national average (Central Statistical Agency 2018). In Ethiopia, teff stands first in the total area cultivated and second to maize for total grain production and number of households producing it, but last in term of yield per area unit (Central Statistical Agency 2018). As a consequence, teff is increasingly under the lens of local and international research to support its cultivation and commercialization (Chanyalew et al. Teff flour is rich in proteins and minerals (Bultosa 2007), making it prized as a gluten-free superfood in western countries (Tietel et al. 2011), as well as a source of feed (Yami 2013) and a cash crop generating incomes for about $0.5 B per year in the local smallholder farming system (Bayissa 2018). In Ethiopia, teff is a staple crop for about 70 million people (Assefa et al. , 2n = 4x = 40) is a C 4 cereal crop that has been cultivated in the Horn of Africa since millennia (Harlan 1969). The body of knowledge available on teff shows that there is large potential for improvement of this crop to target smallholder farming systems as well as international markets, and that improvement may start from the large diversity available in teff collections. The review concludes describing the molecular studies undertook on teff in the past two decades, highlighting the perspectives of molecular breeding for teff. It then follows describing the diversity existing in teff diversity collections and its relevance for teff improvement. This review starts providing a summary of teff characteristics, detailing the status and challenges of teff cultivation and breeding. In doing so, we highlight and critically revise current and past literature tapping in teff diversity to support teff improvement. We collect data generated on the largest teff ex situ collections in the world to discuss opportunities to improve teff tolerance to stress and lodging, as well as to increase its productivity across its cropping area. This review article emphasizes the breeding significance of teff genetic resources, highlighting current challenges in teff farming and improvement that could be addressed further valorising germplasm collections. In the past five decades, the national genebank of Ethiopia actively collected and conserved thousands of teff ( Eragrostis tef) accessions, a staple crop throughout the Horn of Africa at the basis of countless cultural uses and with high market relevance. In their diversity lays an oftentimes untapped reservoir of alleles that may enable breeding strategies targeting local adaptation, resulting in enhanced performance and higher varietal uptake. Crop germplasm collections are a key asset to support the resilience and productivity of cropping systems worldwide.
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