Technology Development and Transfer in Agriculture

T e c h n o l o g y d e v e l o p m e n t i s a response o f sc ien t i f i c k n o w l e d g e to the c h a n g i n g needs o f c o n s u m e r s , f a r m e r s , c o m m u n i t y , c o u n t r y , a n d w o r l d t rade . I n the la te 1960s a n d e a r l y 1970s the re w a s a need to increase t o ta l p r o d u c t i o n by i n t e n s i v e a g r i c u l t u r e . H o w e v e r , i n t h e 1990s, the e m p h a s i s has s h i f t e d t o w a r d s t e c h n o l o g y d e v e l o p m e n t t h a t cons ide rs f a r m e r s ' needs , uses i n d i g e n o u s t e c h n o l o g y t o c o m p l e m e n t sc ien t i f i c d e v e l o p m e n t s , a n d g i ves d u e c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o s u s t a i n a b i l i t y o f n a t u r a l resources a n d o the r e n v i r o n m e n t a l concerns . Techno logy d e v e l o p m e n t a n d t rans fe r are d y n a m i c , a n d the success o f a n e w t e c h n o l o g y i s d e t e r m i n e d b y i ts a d a p t a b i l i t y t o , a n d i ts a d o p t i o n by, the c l ien t g r o u p s . I t requ i res a g o o d research a n d e x t e n s i o n i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , congen ia l po l i c ies , a n d m a r k e t f o r t he c o m m o d i t i e s . I m p r o v e d techno log ies need n o t b e i n n o v a t i o n s , b u t c o u l d b e rea l l oca t i ons o f resources, a n d r e a l i g n m e n t s o f c o m p o n e n t s o f e x i s t i n g prac t ices t o m a t c h t he needs o f f a r m e r s a n d ag ro -soc ioeconomic c o n d i t i o n s . I n v o l v i n g f a r m e r s i n i d e n t i f i c a t i o n a n d p r i o r i t i z a t i o n o f p r o d u c t i o n cons t ra in ts , a n d i n p l a n n i n g a n d m a n a g i n g o n f a r m research t r i a l s i s necessary t o focus o n ta rge t g r o u p s ' r e q u i r e m e n t s . ICRISAT's exper ience a n d ro le i n t e c h n o l o g y t rans fe r i n v o l v i n g n a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s , w i t h p a r t i c u l a r re ference t o L e g u m e s O n f a r m T e s t i n g a n d N u r s e r i e s (LEGOFTEN) a n d A s i a n G r a i n L e g u m e s O n f a r m Research (AGLOR) p r o g r a m s are d i scussed i n the paper . 1. ICRISAT Asia Center, Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India. ICRISAT Conference Paper no. CP 1156. Nigam S. N. and Gowda C. L. L. 1996. Technology development and transfer in agriculture. (In En. Summary in Ch.) Pages 183-193 in Achieving high groundnut yields: proceedings of an international workshop, 25-29 Aug 1995, Laixi City, Shandong, China (Renard, C., Gowda, C.L.L., Nigam, S.N., and Johansen, C. eds.). Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.