Insights into adoption of farming practices through multiple lenses: an innovation systems approach^*

* E. Clarke and T. Jackson made an equal contribution to this article.

ABSTRACT

A complex systems approach to innovation provides rich insights into the drivers, barriers, and key elements for innovation in rural systems. Through a case study of dry direct seeding (DDS) in smallholder systems in Laos, this article reveals a “perfect storm” of challenges and opportunities resulting in rapid adoption. Labour shortage, climate variability, and machinery availability are key factors. The lessons for the research and development community are that; every local system and situation is unique; focusing on one set of factors is never sufficient; and that timelines for change may be long and require persistence and longer term commitment from donors.

KEYWORDS:

• Aid – Development policies
• Civil society – Participation, Partnership
• Environment (built and natural) – Agriculture, Climate change, Food security
• Labour and livelihoods
• East Asia

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under Grant CSE/2014/086: “Crop-livestock systems platforms for capacity building, testing practices, commercialization and community learning”. The authors wish to acknowledge the impressive amount of background work that has gone into these projects and the people on the ground who made this work happen; our farmer cooperators, district and provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office staff of Savannakhet and Champassak provinces, Lao PDR, and other national and international colleagues who worked as part of the project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth Clarke is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Sustainability at Leuphana University Lueneburg, with fellowships at Australian National University and Western Sydney University. She is a transdisciplinary researcher and practitioner with a background in rural development, sustainability and knowledge management. She has worked extensively in international research and development and in sustainability-based research.

Tamara M. Jackson is Adjunct Research Fellow with the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences and the Graham Centre at Charles Sturt University, Australia. She has worked in southern Laos since 2011 for several Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) farming systems projects. Her background is in agricultural systems, and energy and water management in irrigated agriculture.

Khamlouang Keoka is a rural development specialist who has many years’ experience in Laos. He worked for Oxfam for many years and is now a consultant to international research and development organisations.

Viengsavanh Phimphachanvongsod is a livestock specialist with the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute in Laos. He has been involved with research and development projects for many years, including in roles of research planning and cooperation.

Pheng Sengxua is the Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Land Management in Vientiane. He has a background in soil science and has been working on improved rice production for more than thirty years, with a focus on improved understanding of crop nutrition and management practices.

Phetsamone Simali is a technical officer in the Land Management and Development Section at the Savannakhet Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office, Lao PDR. He has a background in agricultural science and has worked intensively in the past five years to support farmers in the use of dry direct seeding techniques.

Len Wade is Honorary Professor at The University of Queensland with experience in in farming systems agronomy, crop physiology and crop improvement, including sorghum-based systems in the semi-arid tropics, wheat-based systems in Mediterranean environments, and rice-based systems in sub-humid environments. While Strategic Research Professor at Charles Sturt University, he led the ACIAR Southern Laos project.

ORCID

Elizabeth Clarke http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5018-810X

Notes

* E. Clarke and T. Jackson made an equal contribution to this article.

1 In May 2017, USD $1 = 8,196 LAK.

2 There are other potential alternative seeding techniques such as broadcasting seed by hand directly into the paddy, sowing pre-germinated seed in rows into wet conditions with a manual machine, and “dry” direct seeding (DDS), which is a mechanical sowing approach that places seed (and often fertiliser) in rows, directly into the paddy.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under [Grant Number CSE/2014/086]: “Crop-livestock systems platforms for capacity building, testing practices, commercialization and community learning”.