Rainfed rice - IRRI books - International Rice Research Institute

Developing Sustainable
Technologies
T
echnology is an important component of agricultural development. It
is a synthesis of research results into an applicable form, application
of which allows achieving the desired results. There are various
forms of technologies, but those which could be applied on a sustainable
basis are the most desirable.
Research findings vs technology
Research is a systematic investigation in a field of knowledge to establish
facts or principles. A technology is the application of research findings to the
requirements of day-to-day life. But all research findings are not
technologies.
While research is an important precursor of technology, not all research
efforts result in technologies, e.g., fundamental or basic research develops
principles and theories only and not technologies. But basic research is the
basis of all applied research. Technologies are the synthesis of research done
in various related disciplines. Therefore, only the integration of inter-
disciplinary research culminates in usable technologies.
Multi-disciplinary research
Useful research is that which can
add to knowledge and/or solve a
problem. No single research can
develop into a technology package.
From the technology point of view,
agricultural research (for that
matter, research in all areas) is
multi-disciplinary in nature. A
usable technology has to be in a
package form, having - a back-up of
multi-disciplinary research.
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Farmers’ perceptions of technologies may be incompatible with
those of scientists