TARGETING TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION
 THROUGH COORDINATED ON-FARM RESEARCH

 Peter E. Hildebrand


 ABSTRACT

This paper has three objectives. The first is to demonstrate the advantages of coordinated, on-
farm research for effectively enhancing diffusion. The second is to help make farmers'
participation in on-farm research more productive in North America. The third is to create a
paradigm which improves on older models and can be used by research and extension institutions
to help make their efforts more efficient and effective. An historical perspective of the
"progressive farmer" and targeted "categories of farmers" strategies is background. Modified
Stability Analysis (MSA) provides the foundation of an alternative to these strategies. It is
presented based on real-world data from the Brazilian Amazon region. The result of using MSA
and on-farm research is to enable the creation of multiple extension messages tailored to specific
farm field environments and the different criteria farmers may use to evaluate new technology.
Activities conducted under this paradigm mutually benefit farmers, extension personnel and
researchers.


BD5/PSi-EXT