Technology Transfer and Diffusion of NPK Fertilization in Maize: Trajectories and Networks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19136/era.a13n1.4934Keywords:
social learning, diffusion of innovations, agricultural extension, innovation networksAbstract
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK) fertilization is a key determinant of maize yield, yet adoption is uneven across territories. This study analyzed the temporal adoption trajectory and the interpersonal diffusion of NPK fertilization in Mexico using a retrospective survey of 37 078 producers from 15 states. The year of adoption and the source actor from whom the innovation was learned were recorded. Based on Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory, producers were classified into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Adoption reached 52% and exhibited S-shaped trajectories with cross-state asynchronies. Innovation sources were reconfigured: Family predominated at the outset, institutional channels gained greater weight during the transition, and extension agents and input suppliers led in later phases. The findings support differentiated interventions by stage and territory. The approach integrates chronology, stages, and actors, and is replicable in extension.
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