UWA Papers on Agricultural Extension and
Adoption and Diffusion of Innovations in Agriculture
Abstract - The adoption of lupins in Western Australia:
Did extension make a difference?
Sally P. Marsh, David J. Pannell and Robert K. Lindner
Agricultural and Resource Economics, The University of W.A., Nedlands, 6907
Abstract
The growth of the sweet white lupin industry in Western Australia is a classic case of the adoption and diffusion of a new innovation in agriculture. In 1979, following the release of the cultivar Illyarrie, and the development of effective agronomic practices, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture (DAWA) commenced a major extension campaign to promote lupins. Between 1978 and 1992 the area of lupins grown increased from 39,000 to 822,000 hectares. However, the pattern of adoption varied widely between regions, with differences in starting time, rate and ceiling levels of adoption. In this paper we examine regional differences in the adoption process, and estimate the impact of various factors using multivariate regression analysis. Results suggest that both DAWA extension activities and the presence of private consultants contributed to earlier start times of the adoption process.
Citation: Marsh, S., Pannell, D.J. and Lindner, R.K. (1995). The adoption of lupins in Western Australia: Did extension make a difference? Paper presented at the 39th Annual Conference of the Australian Agricultural Economics Society, Perth, February 14-16 1995.
Marsh, S.P., Pannell, D.J. and Lindner R.K. (2000). The impact of agricultural extension on adoption and diffusion of lupins as a new crop in Western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40(4): 571-583.
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Adoption, diffusion and extension papers, UWA