The roles of absorptive capacity, technology adoption, and extension services in a local agricultural innovation system in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture development is realized through the local Agriculture Innovation System(AIS) of the country. Actors of the agriculture innovation system interacting with each other in technology generation, processing, dissemination, and utilization process to sustain the progress of the development process. AIS of the developing countries are in a disadvantageous position in generating and learning innovation. This study analyses the contributions of the individual elements to the performances of the AIS in context to Sri Lanka. First, the study analyzes the determinants of R&D institutes’ innovative and knowledge sharing performance. Secondly, the study analyses the ACAP of individual extension officers and determinants impacting their performances. Finally, farmers’ knowledge sharing process and technology adoption behaviors are analyzed. Therefore, this study consists of five related but independent studies based on local AIS in Sri Lanka. First, the study reveals that the ACAP of R&D institutes is primarily shaped by system and coordination capabilities, and to a lesser extent by socialization capabilities. Furthermore, coordination capabilities impact to a greater degree for organizations’ potential ACAP and system capabilities for realized ACAP. The empirical results based on network perspectives show that institutes with higher organizational ACAP and scientific publications hold more prominent network positions. Further, those institutes more frequently acquire external knowledge from publications and professional conferences empowering to achieve higher levels of innovation performance. The second study focuses on the Agricultural extension services and diffusion of knowledge and examines the extent to which AIs’ capabilities to identify, assimilate, utilize, and share knowledge are shaped by their motivations, abilities, and opportunities (MOA). The study Interviews 72 AIs in the Southern province of Sri Lanka. The empirical findings show that AIs’ abilities and opportunities contribute to the development of four dimensions of individual ACAP. In contrast, motivation does not seem to be of relevance in this context. Finally, this study explores the access and use of agricultural knowledge and information by paddy farmers in the Hambantota district in Sri Lanka. The study found that formal information-sharing processes are dominant among paddy farmers and farmers receive and share information more frequently and formally with the AIs. AIs are perceived as the most trusted and most accessible information sources by the farmers. Further, the farmer’s age and farming experience show a positive relationship with the adoption of new technologies, while technology adoption behavior is not significantly affected by the social and demographic factors of farming communities. Furthermore, the empirical results show that only 40 to 60 percent of farmers are actually inclined to adopt new agricultural technologies. Technological constraints are shown to be the most dominant adoption barriers for paddy farmers. Therefore, this study recommends to overcome technological barriers to upgrade adoption of agricultural technologies. Finally, this study recommended to initiate more collaborative activities to enhance the knowledge generation and diffusion in AIS in Sri Lanka. Moreover, the formal knowledge sharing process through AIs is recommended to enhance the productivity of the extension service in Sri Lanka. At last, private-public partnerships in research and extension services are recommended to uplifting the efficiency of the agricultural innovation system in Sri Lanka.