Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] and wheat (Triticum spp.) are the two top staple cereal crops in Ethiopia. Productionrnconstraints of cereal crops include fungal and viral diseases, insect pests, less quality and quantity of food grains, laternmaturation, lodging and others. For gynogenic cultures, unpollinated ovaries were excised from four varieties of wheatrn(Triticum spp.), two varieties from each of durum and bread wheat namely Yerer, Ude, Simba and Galema respectively.rnLight and dark culture conditions, durations of cold pretreatment at 4 oC, stages of harvesting, seasons, genotypes, typesrnof media and compositions of the media affected induction of direct embryogenesis. ANOVA has shown that genotypes,rnstages of harvesting, types of media, combinations of PGRs (2,4-D and KIN) and durations of cold pretreatment at 4 oCrnsignificantly (Pâ‰¤0.05) affected formation of embryonic tissues independently. Developmental stages of the donor plantsrnwere critical step in gynogenic response of cereal crops. Developmental stages of wheat spikes were identified and stagernII was taken as the best stage for induction of embryonic tissues. Furthermore, light culture conditions, 30 g/l of maltose,rnMS medium, and 15 days of cold pretreatment were the best conditions for induction of embryonic tissues. From 12rncombinations of 2,4-D and KIN supplemented in MS basal medium, 1 mg/l of each of 2,4-D and KIN was found to bernthe best combination for induction of embryonic tissues for varieties Yerer (35.0 %), Simba (26.6%) and Ude (13.3 %).rnEleven different PGR combinations were used for shoot regeneration, 0.1 mg/l of NAA + 1 mg/l KIN was the PGRrncombination where the embryonic tissues of all varieties regenerated into shoots. The highest frequency of shoots werernregenerated from the cultured embryonic tissues of varieties Simba (41.3 %) and Yerer (41.6 % ) at 0.1 mg/l 2,4-D.rnFrom a total of 14,524 cultured ovaries, 1100 embryonic tissues (7.6 %) and 75 regenerants were obtained. The averagernpercentage of embryonic tissues and regenerants were 9.0 % and 1.1 % from 3,444; 9.8 % and 0.55 % from 4,732; 5.6rn% and 0.17 % from 2,988; 4.7 % and 0.12 % from 3,360 cultured ovaries for varieties Yerer, Simba, Ude and Galemarnrespectively. In embryo rescue cultures, 8 combinations from 2 wild species of tef: E. pilosa (30-5), E. pilosa (37 80 82)rnand E. curvula and 4 domesticated varieties of tef: E. tef cv. Kaye Murri, E. tef cv. DZ-Cr-387, E. tef cv. DZ-Cr-37 andrnE. tef cv. DZ-01-196 were taken. Florets were cultured in MS medium supplemented with 6 different concentrations ofrn2,4-D which were excised from panicles after six days of artificial crossing, 1 mg/l 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/l of 2,4-D werernfound to be the best 2,4-D concentrations for induction of somatic embryos from the cross of E. pilosa*Kaye Murrirn(46.7 %) and E. pilosa*DZ-Cr-37 (13.3 %) respectively. From a total of 635 cultured florets of F1 hybrids, 21 somaticrnembryos of F1 hybrids were obtained . Of which 19 somatic embryos from the cross of E. pilosa (30-5)*Kaye Murri andrn2 somatic embryos from the cross of E. pilosa (30-5)*DZ-Cr-37 were obtained. Fourteen somatic embryos (73.7 %) andrn1 somatic embryo (50 %) were regenerated in half MS medium without plant growth regulators respectively. Twentyrnfour plantlets of F1 hybrids of E. pilosa (30-5)*Kaye Murri were successfully transferred into pots. A total of 442 singlernplantlets were regenerated at maturity that were uniform, normal, fertile and no abberant plants were obtained. Thernplantlets showed inherited characteristics from both parents. It is recommended that the temperature of the growthroomrnand glasshouse should be adjusted for better survival of plantlets. Appropriate focus and facilities should be given forrncrossing of tef in order to avoid its bottlenecks with modern biotechnology.rnKey words/phrases: Embryogenesis, embryo rescue, embryonic tissue, Eragrostis tef, ovary culture, plantlet,rnsomatic embryo, Triticum spp.