Agricultural Technology Transfer and Communication Research is mandates are to demonstrate agricultural research findings for users; conduct extension research to generate knowledge, to build capacity of farmers and extension workers to improve efficiency and effectiveness of Agricultural technology utilization.

Demonstrations and popularizations of new technologies using on-farm demonstration methods (PED and LSD); on farmers’ and agro-pastoralists’ training centers (FTC/PTC) and commodity based Innovation platforms (IP) to raise awareness and create demands for technology and commercialization. Technology demonstration and popularization inculcate knowledge and information disseminations, collaboration with various key stakeholders and getting feedback about location specific performances of agricultural technologies.  Accordingly, it is organized in 4-Sub programs viz.

1. On-Farm Demonstrations and Scaling: Pre-Extension and Cluster Based Large Scale Demonstrations and Popularizations
2. Technology Incubation and Agribusiness: Incubation based Technology Transfer and Commercialization

 Extension Research and Evaluations

1. On-Farm Demonstrations and Scaling:

This is the major sub program in the directorate. It uses Of-Farm Pre-Extension Demonstration method (PED) and Cluster Based Large Scale Demonstrations and Popularizations for scaling.

The major activities under this sub programs are:

• On-farm testing to assess the location specificity of agricultural technologies, under various farming systems
• Organize demonstrations and Field days to establish production potential of technologies on the farmers’ field.
• Capacity development of farmers and extension personnel to update their knowledge and skills on modern agricultural technologies
• Provide Agricultural Technology advisories using ICT and other media means on varied subjects of Technology and farmers interest

The agricultural research process comprise of technology generation, adaption, testing, demonstration, dissemination and adoption.  The Pre-Extension and Cluster Based Large Scale Demonstrations and Popularizations Program fall in the interface between technology generation and transfer comprising two sub-programs of pre-extension demonstration that involve demonstrating potential benefits new technology on-farmer fields, farmer/agro-pastoralist training centers, in comparison with previously utilized technology or practice. The extension researcher takes the leading role of laying out the demonstration trial while extension agents and farmers closely follow all the operations and performance with closer exchange of feedback. Once the technology performance data generated and farmers’ feedback identified, the outstanding and preferred technology shall be advanced for large scale demonstrations, popularization and scaling up/out involving more number of farmers in wider areas.

Technology Incubation and Agribusiness

The recent reform at SWEARI give priority to technology transfer and commercialization and it is being led by deputy director general. Accordingly, AERD put in place the Technology Incubation and Agribusiness Program that collaborate with technology incubators and inductee to promote the multiplication, transfer and commercialization of agricultural technologies. Technology incubators help pooling of support services for start-ups, technology validation, transfer and scale up processes

Agricultural Extension Research sub program

Agricultural technology demonstration, popularization and adoption entail step by step procedures that employ different tools and approaches.  The Agricultural Extension Research Program deals with technology end users preference in technology uptake, technology performances, navigate collaboration and networking of stakeholders for technology, knowledge and information transfer and commercialization. Accordingly, the program intends to generate empirical evidences on level of adoption and diffusion of agricultural technologies; effectiveness of technology promotion approaches, constraints of technology uptake,  empowerment of farming community, assessment and refinement of the extension interventions, outputs/outcome; and thereby contributes to the advancement of theory or practice of agricultural extension and advisory services.