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INVESTIGATOR: Park, J.; Dasgupta, S.; Recsetar, M.; Chen, Y.; Heikes, D.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIV OF ARKANSAS
PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS 71601

DESIGN-BUILD EXTENSION DELIVERY: A NEW, INTEGRATED MODEL FOR RAPID, COST-EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: U.S. farmers have relied on increasing productivity through adoption of the latest research technologies and advances to remain competitive. Large agri-business corporations rely on internal research and development to improve economic performance. However, small- and limited-resource farmers depend on land-grant universities. Universities have begun to encourage researchers to protect technologies through patents to generate revenue. This trend is leaving small- and limited-resource farmers farther and farther. The challenge for land-grant universities is to seek new ways to respond effectively and more rapidly to clientele needs, but with shrinking budgets, and need to find more innovative, less expensive, and more rapid extension methodologies. This project will enhance UAPB's ability to respond to clientele needs by integrating R&D with technology transfer in a compressed time frame. This innovative, new extension model will then be presented at regional, national, and international professional meetings to extend the concept and methodology to extension professionals elsewhere. The proposed approach is to test a new extension model based on the design-build approach in use by engineers. This project will involve closely-coordinated partnerships with research and extension personnel and fish farmers. Extensive coordination and communication will be needed in real time to integrate the expertise and insights of the engineers, aquaculture specialists, and economists involved in this process. This new extension approach will build upon the platform of the well-established research verification method of technology transfer. Research verification is a specialized form of a result demonstration. In research verification, a team of research and extension experts develop a specialized protocol for production that is based on the best available science. Research verification has been shown to reduce the time from development of a new technology to its adoption. Research verification programs frequently demonstrate the higher yields and lower costs that can be attained by closely following recommendations from the latest research results.

OBJECTIVES: The specific objectives of this project are to develop the design-build extension delivery teams in two states (Arkansas and Kentucky); 2)implement on-farm R&D of two new production systems technologies (split-pond in Arkansas and conversion of decommissioned reclaimed water plants for urban aquaculture in Kentucky). Additional objectives include upgrades of technology for extension specialists and the use of upgraded technology to facilitate real-time information-sharing among extension specialists, researchers, and farmers to allow for rapid R&D adjustments to the new technologies implemented. Expected outcomes include: 1) development of new integrated model for rapid, cost-effective technology transfer; 2) install, monitor, and adapt new production systems on farms; 3)upgrade technological capability of extension system; 4) development and implementation of IT applications for real-time information sharing among cooperating farmers. This delivery method is expected to result in more rapid rates of technology adoption. Today's technology capabilities provide opportunities to move the research-extension paradigm towards far more rapid rates of adoption of the latest available research.