ADOPT: a tool for predicting adoption of agricultural innovations

A wealth of evidence exists about the adoption of new practices and technologies in agriculture but there does not appear to have been any attempt to simplify this vast body of research knowledge into a model to make quantitative predictions across a broad range of contexts. This is despite increasing demand from research, development and extension agencies for estimates of likely extent of adoption and the likely timeframes for project impacts. This paper reports on the reasoning underpinning the development of ADOPT (Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool). The tool has been designed to: 1) predict an innovation‘s likely peak extent of adoption and likely time for reaching that peak; 2) encourage users to consider the influence of a structured set of factors affecting adoption; and 3) engage R, D & E managers and practitioners by making adoptability knowledge and considerations more transparent and understandable. The tool is structured around four aspects of adoption: 1) characteristics of the innovation, 2) characteristics of the population, 3) actual advantage of using the innovation, and 4) learning of the actual advantage of the innovation. The conceptual framework used for developing ADOPT is described.Adoption, Diffusion, Prediction, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Identifying Opportunities for Improved Adoption of New Grazing Innovations

Those aiming for high levels of adoption of grazing-related innovation are often frustrated at low and slow uptake by farmers. This paper describes a new tool, ADOPT (Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool), that can be used to evaluate the potential adoptability of grazing innovations (Kuehne et al. 2012). ADOPT aims to: (1) predict an innovation’s likely peak level of adoption and likely time for reaching that peak; (2) encourage users to consider factors affecting adoption during project design; and (3) engage R, D & E managers and practitioners by making adoptability knowledge and considerations more transparent and understandable

Semiquantitative Analysis of Clinical Heat Stress in Clostridium difficile Strain 630 Using a GeLC/MS Workflow with emPAI Quantitation.

<div><p><i>Clostridium difficile</i> is considered to be the most frequent cause of infectious bacterial diarrhoea in hospitals worldwide yet its adaptive ability remains relatively uncharacterised. Here, we used GeLC/MS and the exponentially modified protein abundance index (emPAI) calculation to determine proteomic changes in response to a clinically relevant heat stress. Reproducibility between both biological and technical replicates was good, and a 37°C proteome of 224 proteins was complemented by a 41°C proteome of 202 proteins at a 1% false discovery rate. Overall, 236 <i>C. difficile</i> proteins were identified and functionally categorised, of which 178 were available for comparative purposes. A total of 65 proteins (37%) were modulated by 1.5-fold or more at 41°C compared to 37°C and we noted changes in the majority of proteins associated with amino acid metabolism, including upregulation of the reductive branch of the leucine fermentation pathway. Motility was reduced at 41°C as evidenced by a 2.7 fold decrease in the flagellar filament protein, FliC, and a global increase in proteins associated with detoxification and adaptation to atypical conditions was observed, concomitant with decreases in proteins mediating transcriptional elongation and the initiation of protein synthesis. Trigger factor was down regulated by almost 5-fold. We propose that under heat stress, titration of the GroESL and dnaJK/grpE chaperones by misfolded proteins will, in the absence of trigger factor, prevent nascent chains from emerging efficiently from the ribosome causing translational stalling and also an increase in secretion. The current work has thus allowed development of a heat stress model for the key cellular processes of protein folding and export.</p></div

Eight Issues to Think About Before Interviewing Farmers

This article is based on my personal experience and understanding of conducting research interviews with farmers. It incorporates ethnographic fiction—an approach to writing that is based on first-hand accounts—to examine some of the issues that researchers might think about before interviewing farmers. Research interviews with farmers are unique events because farmers are a sub-cultural group located in a particular landscape, which means that they have quite different experiences, behaviors, and motivations to academic researchers. It is hard to build an understanding of conducting research interviews with farmers other than by doing them. The article focuses on what, for me, were the eight most important issues around interviewing farmers that I had to grapple with. Discussing these issues may add to potential interviewers' understanding of some of the issues with farmer interviews and result in improved interaction and co-operation with them. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs160220

"Ich weiß einfach nicht mehr was richtig ist": Zur Nutzung der Foto-Elizitierung mit desillusionierten Interviewten

Graphic-elicitation appears to be a research method that potentially has much to offer, particularly so when working with distressed and disaffected groups. It can be especially suited to presenting contentious ideas with unwelcome implications to sceptical interviewees, in this case irrigation farmers who were questioning aspects of climate change. Five images were introduced in the course of conducting in-depth personal interviews. The interviews were recorded and analysed for recurrent themes related to the images. The graphic-elicitation method allowed some participants to preserve or build their sense of optimism by viewing the graphic-elicitation images in particular ways—they saw in them what they wanted to see. Encouraged by the images some attempted to transfer their felt responsibility toward climate change responses to the government and upstream irrigators by blaming them for their low water availability.URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs130321La inducción gráfica parece ser un método de investigación que potencialmente tiene mucho qué ofrecer, en particular al trabajar con grupos de gente angustiada y afectada. Sobre todo puede ser útil en la presentación ideas debatibles con implicaciones inoportunas a entrevistados escépticos, en este caso, agricultores de riego a quienes se interrogó sobre aspectos del cambio climático. Se presentaron cinco imágenes en el curso de la conducción de entrevistas en profundidad. Se grabaron las entrevistas y se analizaron por temas recurrentes relacionados con las imágenes. El método de inducción gráfica permitió a algunos participantes conservar o construir su sentido de optimismo al mirar las imágenes de inducción gráfica de modos muy particulares: vieron en ellas lo que ellos en realidad querían ver. Animados por las imágenes algunos intentaron transferir la responsabilidad que sentían con relación al cambio climático al gobierno y a los irrigadores de mayor consumo al culparlos por la baja disponibilidad de agua.URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs130321Foto-Elizitierung ist ein sehr fruchtbares Verfahren, und zwar insbesondere dann, wenn es um die Untersuchung von eher verzweifelten oder  desillusionierten Personen (-gruppen) geht. Es kann u.a. genutzt werden, wenn umstrittene Ideen oder Konzepte Thema sind, die für eher skeptische Befragte auch unerwünschte Implikationen haben können, im Falle meiner Studie Farmer, die Zusammenhänge zwischen Bewässerung und Klimawechsel als sehr kritisch erlebten. Im Interviewverlauf wurden fünf Abbildungen präsentiert. Die Interviews wurden aufgezeichnet und später mit Blick auf wiederkehrende, mit den Abbildungen verknüpfte Themen analysiert. Es zeigte sich, dass der Ansatz der Foto-Elizitierung im Falle einiger Befragter für in gewisser Weise optimistischere Lesarten sorgte: Sie sahen in den Fotos das, was sie zu sehen wünschten, und die Fotos wirkten ermutigend, die (zunächst als ausweglos) erlebte Eigenverantwortung für unerwünschten Klimawechsel grundsätzlicher mit politischen Verantwortlichkeiten für Wasserverknappung in Verbindung zu setzen.URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs13032

"I Don't Know What's Right Anymore": Engaging Distressed Interviewees Using Graphic-Elicitation

Graphic-elicitation appears to be a research method that potentially has much to offer, particularly so when working with distressed and disaffected groups. It can be especially suited to presenting contentious ideas with unwelcome implications to sceptical interviewees, in this case irrigation farmers who were questioning aspects of climate change. Five images were introduced in the course of conducting in-depth personal interviews. The interviews were recorded and analysed for recurrent themes related to the images. The graphic-elicitation method allowed some participants to preserve or build their sense of optimism by viewing the graphic-elicitation images in particular ways - they saw in them what they wanted to see. Encouraged by the images some attempted to transfer their felt responsibility toward climate change responses to the government and upstream irrigators by blaming them for their low water availability.Foto-Elizitierung ist ein sehr fruchtbares Verfahren, und zwar insbesondere dann, wenn es um die Untersuchung von eher verzweifelten oder desillusionierten Personen (-gruppen) geht. Es kann u.a. genutzt werden, wenn umstrittene Ideen oder Konzepte Thema sind, die für eher skeptische Befragte auch unerwünschte Implikationen haben können, im Falle meiner Studie Farmer, die Zusammenhänge zwischen Bewässerung und Klimawechsel als sehr kritisch erlebten. Im Interviewverlauf wurden fünf Abbildungen präsentiert. Die Interviews wurden aufgezeichnet und später mit Blick auf wiederkehrende, mit den Abbildungen verknüpfte Themen analysiert. Es zeigte sich, dass der Ansatz der Foto-Elizitierung im Falle einiger Befragter für in gewisser Weise optimistischere Lesarten sorgte: Sie sahen in den Fotos das, was sie zu sehen wünschten, und die Fotos wirkten ermutigend, die (zunächst als ausweglos) erlebte Eigenverantwortung für unerwünschten Klimawechsel grundsätzlicher mit politischen Verantwortlichkeiten für Wasserverknappung in Verbindung zu setzen

"I Don't Know What's Right Anymore": Engaging Distressed Interviewees Using Graphic-Elicitation

Graphic-elicitation appears to be a research method that potentially has much to offer, particularly so when working with distressed and disaffected groups. It can be especially suited to presenting contentious ideas with unwelcome implications to sceptical interviewees, in this case irrigation farmers who were questioning aspects of climate change. Five images were introduced in the course of conducting in-depth personal interviews. The interviews were recorded and analysed for recurrent themes related to the images. The graphic-elicitation method allowed some participants to preserve or build their sense of optimism by viewing the graphic-elicitation images in particular ways—they saw in them what they wanted to see. Encouraged by the images some attempted to transfer their felt responsibility toward climate change responses to the government and upstream irrigators by blaming them for their low water availability. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs13032