A SOCIOLOGICAL FRAMING OF THE PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS

In this paper, we outline a theoretical framework for understanding the role of technologies in interactions between scientists and farmers. Technologies are important mediators of relationships in modern, industrial agriculture. Scientists have attempted to make agricultural science more accessible for farmers through decision support systems (DSSs). However, the limited uptake by farmers of this form of technology has led to critical reflection on the development and implementation of agricultural DSSs. The shift towards participatory research and development approaches recognises the benefits of fostering collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships between scientists and practice communities. However, a more detailed analysis of the interaction between the multiple actors involved in participatory DSS development is required to identify principles to improve this process. We have developed a theoretical framework to analyse participatory DSS development in the Australian sugar industry. Our framework is based on three concepts from science and technology studies: interpretative flexibility, technological frames and boundary objects. We illustrate this framework with a case study of an irrigation scheduling DSS