Effective agricultural research depends on strong linkages among research institutions, extension services, and farmers. In Ethiopia, these linkages have traditionally followed a top-down approach, limiting farmers’ active involvement in technology development and dissemination. This study aimed to identify the drivers of stage-wise farmers’ participation in the agricultural research process, focusing on identification, testing, diffusion, and monitoring and evaluation stages in South Wollo, Ethiopia, based on data collected between October 2024 and 2025. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining cross-sectional surveys of 371 smallholder farmers across Wegde, Tenta, and Jama districts, along with semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interview. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, and ordered probit models, while qualitative data provided context on participation barriers. The results indicate that farmers’ participation varied significantly across stages and districts, with higher engagement in Jama compared to Wegde and Tenta. Key determinants included education, level of awareness, leadership participation, access to training, extension services, government support, mobile phone ownership, and proximity to farmers’ training centers. Younger, better-educated, socially connected farmers with institutional support were more likely to engage actively at all stages. Geographic and financial constraints limited participation, particularly in diffusion and monitoring stages. The study concludes that participatory agricultural research requires integrating human, social, and institutional factors to enhance engagement across all stages. Policy implications include decentralizing training centers, strengthening extension and ICT-based support, promoting farmer leadership, and providing targeted incentives to increase stage-specific participation. Strengthening these linkages can enhance the relevance, adoption, and sustainability of agricultural innovations in Northeast Ethiopia.
Tariku et al. (2026) studied this question.