UNIT III.

PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION

Topic 6. Diffusion and Adoption Process

The Diffusion Process

When thinking about the implementation phase of an extension program, it is necessary

to have an understanding of the Adoption Diffusion Process. The diffusion of innovation
framework assists extension educators in understanding how new ideas and technologies are
understood and adopted in a community. The framework is used for program planning, has been
empirically tested, and has been subjected to rigorous review from various perspectives since its
inception in the 1950s. Throughout the years, it has remained instrumental to extension educators
and continues to be useful in countless other fields, including agriculture, medicine,
telecommunications, information technology, and social marketing.

Jot notes

Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels

overtime among the members of a social system.

Element of Diffusion Process:

(a) Innovation
(b) Communication Channels
(c) Time
(d) Social System

Adoption is an individual matter or phenomenon or behavioural socio- economical

phenomenon or mental process.

Elements of Adoption Process:

(a) Innovation
(b) Diffusion
(c) Motivation
(d) Adoption

Reference: Kandelwal, Shagun. (n.d.). Communication, diffusion and adoption | agricultural

extension. Retrieved from https://www.biologydiscussion.com/agriculture/communication-
diffusion-and-adoption-agricultural-extension/24128
 Specifically, the adoption-diffusion model was originally developed to explain the
educational processes that led agriculture producers to accept new idea. Diffusion is defined as,
“the processes by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time
among members of a social system. Diffusion is a special type of communication concerned with
the spread of messages that are new ideas.”

Stages in the Adoption Process

According to Seever and Graham (2012) an innovation as an idea or practice that is

perceived to be new to the clientele, where the clientele go through a process to adopt or
disregard an innovation. Based on Rogers (2003) adoption process, Seever and Graham (2012)
explain how extension educators can use the framework. Check out the following information
below.

Figure 22. Steps in adoption process.

Awareness of a new idea occurs when the communication is first being acquired and
processed by clientele. Trial and adoption are steps that may occur later as understanding and
commitment increases. As an example, an extension educator may utilize several educational
delivery methods (workshops, news releases, e-newsletters, and short courses) to create
awareness of an innovation, for example, a new corn variety that requires less water and is more
pest resistant. Once the corn producers become aware of the new corn variety, sufficient interest
may be generated to acquire additional information and knowledge. Supplied with this new
information, producers begin to evaluate the risks and benefits of appraising the new corn
variety. Ultimately, a decision is made to try it or not. If the trial is considered to be successful,
there is an increased chance that the idea will be adopted. Over the course of time, change in the
form of increased profitability will be achieved. During each step of the process, it is the
extension educator’s role to provide knowledge and resources to encourage adoption of the new
corn variety.
Table 5. Characteristics of Each Steps in Adoption Process

Steps Characteristics
Awareness  The first step towards adoption of an innovation
 The individual farmers becomes aware that the technology or
innovation exists, but he lacks adequate information about it.

Interest  At this stage, the farmer becomes personally interested in the

new technology and seeks more information.
 This stage occurs when a person comes to believe that the
innovation might be possible for him
 A person seeks more factual information about the idea. He
wants to know what it is, how it works, what is its potential.

Evaluation  The person shows a marked interest in the idea as it applies to

him, his operations, or his family
 The farmer evaluates the technology within his conditions,
expectations, resources, and management, and decides whether
or not to try it
 A mental trial of the innovation where the farmers tries it out in
his imagination
 Source of information maybe family, friends and neighbors

Trial  The individual has weighed the advantages and the risks
involved, and if the idea indivisible into small segments, is
willing to try the idea on a small scale.
 This involves actual trial on the farm where the farmer collects
the required inputs; learns any new skills that are required;
commits some land, labor, and money to the trial and sees what
happens

Adoption (repeated  Farmer decides whether to adopt or reject the technology

use) or rejection  Final stage of the adoption process maybe characterized by
large-scale and continuous use of the idea

One of the elements of the adoption process is that it occurs over time. Many times there
will be a lengthy lapse between the introduction of a new idea and its adoption on a widespread
basis. Extension’s function or success is often measured by the extent to which this time lapse is
reduced or the rate of adoption is increased. A number of factors influence the rate of adoption,
including the characteristics of the innovation and the traits of the target audience. Five
characteristics of an innovation, as perceived by the target audience, greatly influence the rate of
adoption.

The five characteristics are relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and
observability.
 Figure 23. Everett Rogers adoption-diffusion principles (Rogers, 2003)

Adopter Categories

Adoption of new technologies, best practices, and individual behavior changes can
usually be traced to one or more of these five factors.

Think through these factors when trying to convince clients to consider a behavior, best
practice or new technology.

Remember that these factors are not absolutes; rather they are perceptions developed by
your clients of the innovation. So, if you can successfully increase or improve clients’
perceptions of an innovation’s relative advantage, compatibility, observability, and trialabilty,
while decreasing their perceptions of an innovation’s complexity you will increase the rate of
adoption of that innovation by your target audience.

All individual in a target audience do not adopt an innovation or idea at the same time.
Clientele can generally be divided into “adopter categories” based on how quickly they adopt
innovations or ideas (Figure 16). Initially only a small percentage of clientele will adopt an
innovation or idea, then a larger percentage will adopt and finally the remainder will accept the
innovation.
 Figure 24. Innovativeness and adopter categories (Rogers, 2003).

The distribution of adopter categories can influence the rate of adoption of an innovation.
The five adopter categories below (Figure 17) are classified by degree of innovativeness, or how
quickly an individual will adopt new innovations or ideas.
 Figure 25. Description of the five innovator categories (Rogers, 2003).

Each adopter category possesses unique characteristics and requires different strategies to
influence desired adoption innovations or ideas. It is critical that the extension educator
recognize individuals in each of these adopter categories to achieve successful adoption of
innovations or ideas. The diffusion process, built on the concept of change, embraces the
extension philosophy of helping to improve the quality of life by extending knowledge.
Extension educators assume the responsibility for diffusing an innovation or idea and influencing
its adoption and there are four roles an Extension educator can assume to influence adoption
decisions. Those roles are as follows.

1. Catalyst- pressures the system to begin working on problems and issues.

2. Solution giver- provides specific ideas for change.
3. Process helper- assists in the processes of problem solving and decision making.
4. Resource linker- brings together human, economic, and intellectual resources.
5.

Problems and Issues in Adoption

There are several constraints to the adoption of technologies and innovations. These are
identified as:

1. The extent to which the farmer finds the new technology complex and difficult to
comprehend;
2. How readily observable the outcomes of an adoption are;
3. Its financial cost;
4. The farmer's beliefs and opinions towards the technology;
5. The farmer's level of motivation;
6. The farmer's perception of the relevance of the new technology; and
7. The farmer's attitudes towards risk and change