The Shortest Way to Diffuse Agricultural Innovations: A Network Study in the Paddy Sector in Türkiye

Abstract

The study revealed the diffusion processes of agricultural innovations and the influential advice sources in the diffusion process by using the network approach. The study sought to answer the questions of how agricultural innovations diffuse in the paddy sector, how agricultural innovations can be delivered to paddy farmers in the most concise form, and what are the typical characteristics of influential advice sources. Data were collected using questionnaires from paddy farmers, input suppliers, rice mills, and other relevant people and organizations in 2017. Social network analysis was used to analyze farmer advice networks, and Ordinal Logistic Regression was used to identify the common characteristics of influential actors in the network. The research results indicated that the farmers were a bridge between innovation creators and other farmers. The local pesticide dealers were the intermediary position among the paddy farmers with the innovation creators. Collective action, membership in agricultural organizations, social status, and project experience were influential factors in being an advice source. The study found that agricultural innovations in the paddy sector can diffuse most quickly from innovation creators to local pesticide dealers and farmers.