In the demonstration/verification trials, extension agents can assess with the farmers the kind of
field environment in which the farmers will be using the technology and the way the farmers will
evaluate results. This provides the extension agents with the information to choose among the
recommendations specified by environment and evaluation criterion as shown in Table 1 and
Figure 6. The same process can be used for broader diffusion of the specific technology
recommendations in the extension program.


Summary

On-farm research appropriately designed for Modified Stability Analysis can provide the
framework for an efficient, effective and productive farmer-participatory, research-extension
program. Activities conducted under this paradigm mutually benefit farmers, extension
personnel and researchers. This paradigm should effectively fill the "missing linkage" between
research and extension and make the programs of both research and extension institutions more
efficient. Because it results in recommendations for specific kinds of field environments and
criteria relevant to individual farmers, it should also make more productive the time and
resources invested by farmers in on-farm research.


 REFERENCES

Hildebrand, P.E. 1984. Modified stability analysis of farmer managed, on-farm trials.
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Rogers, E.M. 1983. Diffusion of innovations. Third Edition. The Free Press. New York.

Ruling, N.G. 1988. Extension science: information systems in agricultural development.
Cambridge. New York.

Singh, B.K. 1990. Sustaining crop phosphorus nutrition of highly leached oxisols of the
Amazon Basin of Brazil through use of organic amendments. Unpublished PhD Dissertation,
University of Florida, Gainesville.

Stroup, W.W., P.E. Hildebrand and C.A. Francis. 1993. Farmer participation for more
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Stucker, R.E. and D.H. Hicks. 1992. Some aspects of design and interpretation of row-crop
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