Modes of communication and effectiveness of agroforestry extension in eastern India

Development of extension in agroforestry draws on the application of the in novation-diffusion process in agriculture. To be effective, agroforestry ex tension needs to fit the dynamics of the target farming system, the local s ocioeconomic and technological systems, and land use constraints. Failure o f agroforestry extension has been blamed on inadequate and inappropriate me thods, but there have been few studies to identify those factors that deter mine a farmer's awareness of, or attitude to, agroforestry. The present stu dy focused on the modes of communication used in extension and how they aff ected adoption of agroforestry in a subsistence farming region of eastern I ndia. The decision to adopt agroforestry was found to be determined by the farmers' attitude to agroforestry, which in turn was shaped by information received through farmer-to-farmer and farmer-to-extension contact. The mode of communication was important and, to be effective, needs to be customize d for each target group.