Technology Transfer Methodologies and Their Consequences for Rural Development

Efficient transfer of agricultural technologies to farmers, which is the principal function of extension services, is a key for rural development. To achieve the objective of technology diffusion, effective technological information delivery methods, which are basically educational, should be found. There is quite a range of educational methods available for individual and group situations, as well as the mass media. With the development of electronics and information technologies, more-sophisticated methods are also emerging. The characteristics, and pros and cons of the various methods commonly adopted by extension services are explained in this paper to enable the selection of suitable technology transfer methods