Agricultural Extension Programs Research Articles

Green Economy Based Agriculture Extension in Klaten Regency: A Literature Study on Evaluation and Strategy

The agricultural sector has become a potential sector in Klaten Regency. This cannot be separated from the role of agricultural extension workers. Nonetheless, the environment has become a major issue in the development of the agricultural sector and it makes a tradeoff. The aim of this study to provide recommendations for agricultural extension strategies through a green economy approach. This study uses a qualitative approach and supported quantitatiely through weighting and scoring. Data analysis techniques using literature review (library) with SWOT analysis. The agricultural extension program in Klaten Regency has been running in accordance with statutory regulations and technical instructions from the local government. However, the problem that occurs at this time, most of the agricultural extension pay less attention and do not include environmental elements in the agricultural extension process.The agricultural extension model through a green economy-based curriculum is one of the solutions offered in this study. The results of the SWOT analysis in the development of green economy-based agricultural extension agents through the empowerment curriculum is in quadrant I (progressive). In its implementation, a four-actor collaboration model (quadruple helix) is recommended in this study.

Utilization of Information and Communication Technologies among Rural Women and Youth in Agriculture in Abia State, Nigeria

The study assessed the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among rural women and youth in agriculture in Abia State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule by the researcher and other research assistants. Percentage, standard deviation, mean scores, pie-chart, factor analysis, and regression were used for data analysis and result presentation. Using the multistage sampling procedure, a sample size of one hundred and twenty respondents was purposefully selected. The study's findings showed that GSM, radio, and television were the main ICTs that women and youth in the state used to obtain agricultural information from extension and relevant stakeholders. The regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between the number of times extension agents visited and their level of ICT use in agriculture. Findings indicated that a greater percentage (40%) of respondents were high users of ICTs in agriculture. Respondents cited low literacy, a lack of extension conviction, and training as major constraints to their use of ICTs. The implication is that policymakers and relevant stakeholders in agriculture should prioritize the development of training programs and interventions that improve the technology literacy and human capacity building of rural women and youth in the state through the use of existing agricultural extension programs on the effective use of ICTs in obtaining agricultural information for increased productivity, income, standard of living, and agricultural development in the state.

Does sending farmers back to school increase technical efficiency of maize production? Impact assessment of a farmer field school programme in Indonesia

A farmer field school programme aims to impart knowledge and promote new technology. The programme is expected to enhance farmers’ performances. However, the empirical evidence remains unclear. A few studies have examined the impact of this programme on technical efficiency in Indonesia. The current study specifically investigates the causal impact of the Farmer Field School of Integrated Crop Management (FFS-ICM) programme on technical efficiency of maize production in Indonesia. We used a stochastic production frontier model and propensity score matching (PSM) to examine the causal impact of FFS-ICM on the technical efficiency of maize production. The results show that the average farm technical efficiency is 68.3%, which suggests that the production can be further improved. The PSM estimation indicates that FFS-ICM increased the technical efficiency by 1.48%, demonstrating the importance of agricultural extension programmes in rural areas in Indonesia. Nevertheless, the relatively small estimated impact raises the issue of cost effectiveness of the programme.

HUBUNGAN KUALIFIKASI PENYULUH DENGAN KAPASITAS PENYULUH PERTANIAN DI KOTA KENDARI

The implementation of agricultural extension in the success of agricultural development in Indonesia needs to be supported by the ability of individual extension workers themselves in carrying out their duties as agricultural extension workers. So that the position of agricultural extension workers is an important position in the process of delivering and implementing agricultural extension programs in agricultural development. Therefore, extension workers are required to have the ability or capacity to carry out extension activities to the farming community. This study aims to determine: 1). the qualifications of extension workers with the capacity of agricultural extension workers 2). The relationship between the qualifications of extension workers and the capacity of agricultural extension workers in conducting extension activities in Kendari City. The basic research method used is quantitative with survey techniques. The location selection was done purposively in Kendari City. Sampling using census / saturated sampling technique and respondents taken as many as 63 agricultural extension workers. Data analysis using the spearman rank test. The results showed that: 1) the level of qualifications possessed by agricultural extension workers in Kendari City has fulfilled the capacity as an agricultural extension worker and 2) there is a significant relationship between the qualifications of agricultural extension workers and the capacity of agricultural extension workers in Kendari City.

ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS OF RURAL- URBAN MIGRATION ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN ESAN CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EDO STATE, NIGERIA.

The study examined the effects of rural- urban migration on agricultural production in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted in selecting respondents for the study. Structured questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect data from the respondents for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentage and means while multiple regression was used to test the hypothesis. The result showed that the farmers were of mixed gender (56-3% male, 43.6% female). The mean age was 43years, 76.2% has formal education and an average household size of 5 persons with average of 2 migrants per household. Adequate extension education (mean = 1.16) was ranked first among the strategies for reducing rural migration while the multiple regression result showed that marital status (18.775, ≤ 0.05), education (20.900, ≥ 0.05), household size (20.025, ≤ 0.05) had significant relationship with the member of migrants in a household. It was concluded that migration majorly affected the respondents on labour shortage and significant relationship existed between the farmer’s marital status, education, and the number of respondents in a household. The study recommended provision of proper agricultural extension programmes and needed social amenities in the study area as identified as major causes of rural- urban migration. Proper agricultural extension programmes should be made available in the study area as this would helped to increase farmers knowledge on production practices and possible ways of reducing the effects of labour shortages. Lastly, farmers are encouraged to adopt farming technologies that will require less number of persons to carry out e.g. mechanization. This will address the problem of labour shortage

Information Sources and Needs among Mango (Mangifera Indica L.) Farmers in the Shai Osudoku District, Greater Accra Region, Ghana

This paper seeks to examine and understand the information-seeking behaviour of farmers in terms of their information needs, sources and challenges. Structured questionnaires were administered randomly to 125 mango farmers selected from the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region. Besides, one focus group discussion section with the executives of the District mango farmer-based organisation and one-on-one in-depth interview session with the Head of Department of Agriculture in the District were held, coupled with farm visits for personal observations to make for triangulation with the quantitative data. The study showed that radio, leaflets and family/friends remained the first option of choice as sources of information to the mango famers. On the other hand, the Internet, books, newspapers and extension agents emerged as the least sources of preference to the farmers. Selection of varieties/hybrids, pests and disease management and pruning of tree crops were perceived by the farmers as the most pressing information needs, which, to them, were critical to the success of their mango farming business. The study also showed a strong positive relationship (p<0.05) between age of the mango farmers and the use of information. Furthermore, the results revealed that number of years spent on formal education positively correlated (p<0.05) with the use of information from family/friends, books, agricultural input dealers, leaflets and radio. These findings will inform agricultural extension programme planning of the District and the Greater Accra Region, as a whole.

Migration, gender labor division and food insecurity in Tajikistan

In recent decades millions living in low-income countries like Tajikistan have migrated to support their livelihoods. This massive, predominantly male, out-migration has transformed the agricultural sector. On the one hand, household members with migrants who stay behind, usually female and children, might replace migrant member’s previous tasks, leading to the feminization of agriculture. On the other hand, remittances can increase migrant households’ income leading to a reduction in their work and increase in their food security as their purchasing power strengthens. We study the relationship between migration, food insecurity and gender labor division for two production systems in Tajikistan. Using propensity score matching with village fixed effects, we find non-migrant households are associated with having more months of food shortages and spending more days without eating food. In terms of the division of labor, women in migrant households were associated with being more involved in labor-intensive activities. Our results provide evidence that while migration is correlated with greater food security, the demand on women’s time and labour increases. This has important implications for designing gender-inclusive agricultural and irrigation training and extension programs, which are usually targeted at males. Gender-sensitive design will be vital for improving countries like Tajikistan’s food security, malnutrition, and water resource management.

Population growth and Rural Development in the interface of Climate Change in Nepal: A review

The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between population change and rural development in connection with climate change in Nepal. Climate change has two directional relationship with climate change. Firstly, population growth and rural development act as anthropogenic factors for climate change. On the other hand, climate change and extremities impact population pyramid and damages the rural infrastructures. It is based on secondary data and published and unpublished literatures. The study reveals that there is a strong relationship between climate change, population change and rural development. Many rural people are migrated into the urban areas and young people are trying to shift in abroad for employment where climatic factors are increasingly push factors. Lack of skill oriented education entrepreneurship programs, agricultural extension program people are suffering from different problems. Self help program is needed into the rural areas. So government should rethink to implement the rural development program in Nepal. Poverty become the main sensitive issue of rural areas. Though the government has given emphasis on the rural development of Nepal, so the policy makers should do the research about the successful rural development program in Nepal.

Digital Farming and Smart Farming from the Perspective of Agricultural Students at Malikussaleh University 2022

This study describes the views of agricultural students in seeing the opportunities and challenges of the era of digital farming and smart farming. To further grow their interest to be ready to become agricultural entrepreneurs who are creative, innovative, professional, competitive and able to absorb agricultural sector jobs. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) national labor force survey, 20.62% of Indonesian youth work in the agricultural sector in August 2020, an increase compared to the previous period in 2019 which amounted to 18.43%, and will continue to increase until 2022. An increase in the number of young people in the sector agriculture can be a momentum to expand it. As many as 85.62% of them are internet users and have the opportunity to become early adopters of digital technology in the agricultural sector. So far, farmers' understanding of digital farming and smart farming is low because the majority of farmers have graduated from elementary and secondary schools. The average age is over 45 years, which makes it difficult to adapt to digital technology. Helplessness when dealing with digital media technology.
 The increasing number of young people interested in the agricultural sector is a hope as well as an opportunity to increase the development of a digital-based agricultural world. Of course this can be integrated into agricultural extension programs by millennials provided that agricultural students and alumni have adequate digital skills. That currently modernization of agriculture is a necessity. The agricultural sector continues to move towards digital farming and smart farming. Digitization of Agriculture facilitates monitoring, marketing, technology and helps accelerate the production process. Implementation of intelligent and critical use of digital media. The final results of this study are descriptive views and strategies of agricultural students regarding the phenomenon of digital farming and smart farming.
 Primary and secondary data were obtained through observation, interviews, Focus Group Discussion and literature review. Theoretical basis, concepts and models as well as scientific contributions are used by Digital Skills or Digital Literacy, Digital Farming, Smart Farming 4.0 and Agricultural Students. The research informants consisted of agricultural students and alumni, digital skills experts, agricultural academics and relevant stakeholders. Data analysis used snow ball informants and cross checks, synchronization, compression, reduction, data display and conclusion. The results of the study show that Malikussaleh University agricultural students and alumni as millennials are active internet users with various media that have the opportunity to become early adopters of digital technology in the agricultural sector towards Digital Farming and smart farming. Digitizing agriculture with the active involvement of millennials will facilitate monitoring, marketing, technology and help accelerate the production process by implementing the use of digital media intelligently and critically. The stigma of agriculture only for those with low education seems to still exist. Need to increase understanding of digital farming and smart farming among Millennials. Maximum implementation of digital farming and smart farming is a big hope in the hope of being able to realize a sustainable agricultural system.

Digital Skills In The Optimization Of Agricultural Technology Among Milenial 2022 (Description Study on Agricultural Students at Malikussaleh University)

The purpose of this study is to describe digital literacy skills among millennial students and agricultural alumni in seeing the opportunities and challenges of digital farming-smart farming. Growing Millennials' interest to be ready to become agricultural entrepreneurs who are creative, innovative, professional, competitive and able to absorb agricultural sector jobs. The national labor force survey of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), 20.62% of Indonesian youth worked in the agricultural sector in August 2020, an increase compared to the previous period in 2019 which amounted to 18.43%, and will continue to rise until 2022. The increase in the number of youth in the agricultural sector agriculture can be a momentum to expand it. As many as 85.62% of them are internet users and have the opportunity to become early adopters of digital technology in the agricultural sector. So far, the low digital literacy skills of farmers are because the majority of farmers only graduate from elementary school and high school. The average age is more than 45 years, which makes it difficult to adapt to digital technology. Helplessness when dealing with digital media technology. The increasing number of millennials interested in the agricultural sector is a hope as well as an opportunity to increase the development of the agricultural world based on digital farming-smart farming. Of course, this can be integrated into agricultural extension programs by millennials on the condition that agricultural students and alumni have adequate digital skills. That currently the modernization of agriculture is a necessity. The agricultural sector continues to move towards digital farming-smart farming. Agricultural Digitization facilitates monitoring, marketing, technology and helps accelerate the production process. Implementation of intelligent and critical use of digital media. The critical paradigm is chosen in this research, which is not only looking at what is visible but also exploring the meaning and seeing how there is what is behind a phenomenon. Based on advocacy and criticism become ideals. The assumption is, to know the world, man must make the world his own. The final result of this research is a strategy regarding the phenomenon being discussed. Primary and secondary data were obtained through observation, interviews, Focus Group Discussion and literature review. The theoretical basis, concepts and models as well as scientific contributions are Digital Skills or Digital Literacy, Digital Farming, Smart farming 4.0 and Millennials, namely Agricultural Students and alumni. Research informants consist of agricultural students and alumni, digital skills experts, agricultural academics and stakeholders deemed relevant. Data analysis used snow ball informants and cross checks, synchronization, compression, reduction, display data and conclusion. Primary data collection can be carried out, as well as validation to ensure the relevant and related data has been carried out. Secondary data support can complement the initial data that has been obtained previously. The existing data has been tested for validity and reliability. The results of the study show that students and agricultural alumni of the Malikussaleh University as millennials are active internet users with various media having the opportunity to become early adopters of digital technology in the agricultural sector towards Digital Farming and smart farming. Digitization of agriculture with the active involvement of millennials will facilitate monitoring, marketing, technology and help accelerate the production process by implementing intelligent and critical use of digital media. The stigma of agriculture only for those with low education, seems to still exist. Need to improve understanding of digital farming-smart farming among Millennials. The maximum implementation of smart farming is a big hope for all. Agriculture 4.0 is the implementation of smart farming or precision agriculture which is expected to be able to realize a sustainable agricultural system.

An evidence-based relationship between technical assistance and productivity in cocoa from Tocache, Peru

Abstract The growth of small-scale Peruvian farmers is highly dependent on cocoa factor productivity. Agricultural extension programs can help to improve farm productivity using available resources. Thus, the objective of this study is to estimate the productivity of Peruvian cocoa farming and identify if frequent technical assistance impacts on farmers’ technical efficiency. The data came from a survey of 379 cocoa farmers in Tocache, San Martin (177 producers who sell through intermediaries and 202 who are cooperative members), conducted between January and June 2015. This article is supported by the interaction of two associated techniques: the production function and the technical efficiency technique based on stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). The key findings were that the estimated coefficients for labor, capital, land and fertilizer were positive to cocoa production. Our outcomes also show there is a (marginally) significant relationship between technical assistance and technical efficiency (p-value<10%). There is also a positive relationship between efficiency and other socioeconomic characteristics of being a male, having experience in cocoa cultivation and practicing non-diversification in other crops. Policymakers could consider these results to improve farm management systems and, therefore, the competitiveness of the cocoa plantations in the Peruvian Amazonia.

Listen to the radio and go on field trips: A study on farmers' attributes to opt for extension methods in Northwest Ethiopia

<abstract> <p>Extension professionals are expected to help disseminate agricultural technologies, information, knowledge and skills to farmers. In order to develop valuable and long-lasting extension services, it is essential to understand the methods of extension that farmers find most beneficial. This understanding helps adopt improved practices, overcome barriers, provide targeted interventions and continuously improve agricultural extension programs. Thus, assessing factors affecting farmers' choice of agricultural extension methods is essential for developing extension methods that comply with farmers' needs and socio-economic conditions. Therefore, we analyzed the factors affecting farmers' preferences in extension methods, using cross-sectional data collected from 300 households in two sample districts and 16 Kebelles in Ethiopia between September 2019 and March 2020. Four extension methods, including training, demonstration, office visits and phone calls were considered as outcome variables. We fitted a multivariate probit model to estimate the factors that influence farmers' choice of extension methods. The results of the study showed that the number of dependents in the household head, formal education and membership of Idir (an informal insurance program a community or group runs to meet emergencies) were negatively associated with farmers' choices to participate in different extension methods compared to no extension. On the other hand, the sex of the household head, farm experience, participation in non-farm activities, monetary loan access, owning a mobile phone, radio access and membership of cooperatives were found to have a statistically significant positive impact on farmers' choices of extension methods. Based on these findings, the government and the concerned stakeholders should take farmers' socio-economic and institutional traits into account when selecting and commissioning agricultural extension methods. This could help to develop contextually relevant extension strategies that are more likely to be chosen and appreciated by farmers. Furthermore, such strategies can aid policymakers in designing extension programs that cater to farmers' needs and concerns. In conclusion, farmers' socio-economic and institutional affiliation should be taken into consideration when selecting agricultural extension methods.</p> </abstract>

Participation of Farmer Group Members in Designing Extension Programs on Tomato Farming

The objective of this study was to describe the participation of farmer group members in the preparation of an extension program on tomato farming in Wowasolo Village, Wongeduku District, Konawe Regency. The research method is to determine the population and sample in one of the farmer groups that cultivate tomatoes. The number of samples that were set was 30 people from all members of the vegetable farmer group, which were selected by random sampling. Analysis of the data used is Likert Scale analysis. The results of the research obtained in the field regarding the participation of farmer group members in the extension program are that there are four stages of farmer group participation in the extension program, namely: first; the planning stage obtained an average value of 2.47 with the category of High (T), second; the implementation stage the average value is 4.39 with the category of High (T), third; the utilization stage has an average value of 2.23 with high (T) and fourth categories; evaluation stage the average value is 3.19 with the High category (T). The dominant participation factor is influenced by the willingness, the opportunity and the desire to add experience in tomato farming. Low farmer education and community habits with conventional farming systems are limiting factors for participation in agricultural extension programs.

TOURING THE GAP BETWEEN EXTENSION AGENTS, EXTENSION STRATEGIES, CAPACITY BUILDING AND CONSTRAINTS OF RICE PRODUCTION IN AGRICULTURAL ZONE IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined or assessed the gap between extension agents, extension strategies, capacity buildinga and constraints of rice production in agricultural zone of Niger State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting 48 respondents. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study found that a participatory approach is not fully decentralized in planning, monitoring and evaluation of the agricultural extension programs to meet the demand-driven services of the farmers in the study area. Moreover, there is a difference between the capacity building of the extension personnel and the constraints incurred in rice production. The capacity building is mostly focused on production and post-harvest of rice production, while having multitude of constraints in marketing as well. Therefore, it is recommended that a participatory approach must be fully promoted and the capacity building of extension personnel must be melded with the demand-driven needs of farmers in approaching the rice production issues. The study will be needful for extension agents, policymakers, researchers, educationists and stakeholders in Agriculture and non-Agricultural sectors so as to understand ways of increasing the quality and effectiveness of agricultural extension services to foster agricultural production.

Effect of Agricultural Extension Services and Development on Productivity among Small Scale Farmers in India

Since the history of mankind, agriculture evolved round the basic food needs of man and developed principles and practices in crop production including field management. With changing situation, technological development have shifted the traditional agriculture from more crop production to mixed farming involving allied activities like animal husbandry, sericulture, pisciculture etc. Need for technological development in agriculture. Extension services have become the gold standard for agricultural development programs to spur farm productivity and enhance farmers’ livelihood. Scholars from distinct strands of research have contested the virtues of these programs as systematic reviews failed to disentangle the different causal paths. Despite a wide range of reform initiatives in agricultural extension in India in the past decades, the coverage of, access to, and quality of information provided to marginalized and poor farmers is uneven. While the call for demand-driven agricultural extension has existed in India for several decades now, new modes of reaching out to farmers could have significant impact in India, as they might better reflect the local information needs of farmers. This study therefore set out to find out through literature review the effect of agricultural extension services and development on productivity among small scale farmers in India. Using information provision and access as the basis for analysis, the paper reviewed some of the major agricultural extension programs in India by considering their ability to provide information and facilitate information sharing and use in small scale farming communities in India. The study established that The findings indicated that access to information from any source increased with larger farm size in India. Most farmers sought information on seed for cultivation, followed by veterinary care in animal husbandry, and then management and marketing in fisheries. Keywords: Extension services, agricultural development, productivity, small scale farmers

Innovation context and technology traits explain heterogeneity across studies of agricultural technology adoption: A meta‐analysis

AbstractDespite a wealth of case‐specific insights from agricultural adoption studies, we lack systematic evidence on which technology characteristics matter for adoption across different innovation contexts. We synthesise the results of 304 quantitative farm‐level adoption studies for a wide range of agricultural innovations across more than 60 countries using multi‐level meta regression. Our results show that land, capital and knowhow are generally more important when an innovation uses the respective factor intensively, but this effect is reduced in contexts where the factor is abundant. Our findings have implications for the design of rural development and agricultural extension programmes. Both should consider the interplay of geographic context and innovation characteristics to develop more effective sustainable intensification strategies.

Can Agricultural Extension and Input Support Be Discontinued? Evidence from a Randomized Phaseout in Uganda

AbstractMany development programs that attempt to disseminate improved technologies are limited in duration because of external funding constraints or an assumption of impact sustainability, but there is limited evidence on whether and when terminating such programs is efficient. We provide novel experimental evidence on the impacts of a randomized phaseout of an agricultural extension and subsidy program that promotes improved inputs and cultivation practices among smallholder women farmers in Uganda. We find that phaseout does not diminish the use of either practices or inputs as farmers shift purchases from NGO-sponsored village-based supply networks to market sources. These results indicate that short-term interventions can suffice to trigger persistent effects, consistent with models of technology adoption that emphasize learning from experience.

Farmers’ willingness to pay towards the sustainability of plant clinics: evidence from Bangladesh, Rwanda and Zambia

ABSTRACT Fee-based agricultural extension programmes have been proposed in response to the constraints of funding public extension services. This has piqued researchers' interest in determining farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for extension services in recent decades. The current study examines farmers' WTP to ensure the sustainability of plant clinics. Smallholder farmers in over 30 countries benefit from this demand-driven extension method, which delivers plant health diagnostic and consulting services. External funders are now paying the plant clinic operations, which raises worries about their long-term viability if the funding stops. We used survey data from 602, 637, and 837 households in Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Zambia. We discovered that roughly 64% of the sample farmers were willing to pay an amount sufficient to cover the operational costs of an established plant clinic using the iterative bidding technique of eliciting WTP. Farmers in Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Uganda were willing to spend an average of 0.27USD, 0.85USD, and 2.25USD per visit to plant clinics (Zambia). According to our findings, farmers appear to value the plant clinic extension method and are eager to contribute to its long-term viability. Therefore, piloting fee-paying plant clinic services to determine farmers' actual WTP and preferred payment options would be beneficial.

Transmigration programs and migrant positions in rural community knowledge networks

Controversial transmigration programs have moved millions of people from the cores of domestic economies to national geographical peripheries to ostensibly facilitate a more equitable resource distribution. However, it is not well understood how transmigrants become accepted and how they position themselves within the local networks of migrant-receiving rural communities. We examine how ethnicity and transmigratory experience affect informal knowledge-sharing networks in 16 coffee and cocoa farmer groups in Lampung, Indonesia. Drawing on these social networks and key socio-economic characteristics of 315 farming group members, we examine core-periphery network structures and centrality distributions within these farming groups. We show that individuals from the majority ethnomigration group who are the descendants of Javanese migrants tend to form the core of the local farmers’ knowledge networks, apparently benefiting both from strong cultural links to the central regions of the country in Java as well as strong embeddedness in local communities. Our findings also call attention to possible marginalization of original members of peripheral rural communities in central government-sponsored transmigration and export-oriented agricultural extension programs.

Adoption; a relevant concept for agricultural land management in the 21 century?

This review seeks to understand the implications of using “adoption” to evaluate agricultural soil management outreach in the twenty-first century. The act of changing from one practice to another practice is referred to as “adoption”. The concept of adoption is closely associated with the design and evaluation of agricultural extension programs. Although focusing on adoption is deeply entrenched in agricultural extension, some scholars question the usefulness of the concept in light of the complexity and uncertainty that characterises farming in the twenty-first century. We present a purposeful review of literature that considers adoption in relation to three general approaches to agricultural extension; top-down, bottom-up and co-constructionist, with an emphasis on land management in Australia. The conceptual fit of adoption as a measure of success for each extension approach is explored. We conclude that the usefulness of adoption of individual practices or tools as a measure of success needs to be considered in context. Failing to reflect on what adoption means in any particular program or activity risks ignoring or misunderstanding real change and impacts and /or shaping activities to fit a simple, linear adoption expectation. We suggest that adoption remains a useful concept, but could be best considered as a gateway to increased reflection and reflexivity when projects and activities are being developed.