Impact of Innovation Platforms in Promoting the Dissemination of Biotechnological Innovation: Case of Compost in Date Palm in Southeastern Morocco

Abstract

The sustainability of date palm production in Tafilalet's palm grovesis threatened by many constraints related to the dryland's severe environment, climate change, and improper human activities. Biotechnological innovations are new agricultural research discoveries increasingly used to improve agricultural sustainability. For example compost, has proven its benefits in facing date palm production constraints, improving its productivity, and enhancing soil health. Using linear approaches has proven their ineffectiveness to disseminate the advantages of innovations to small producers. As an alternative, Innovation Platforms (IPs) constitute a participatory approach based on a multi-stakeholder alliance for disseminating innovations. This article aimed to study the effects of IPs on the compost adoption and dissemination process as well as evaluate compost impacts on the production of dates. Two types of investigation tools were conducted on members of 47 IPs. Data were analyzed using factorial analysis, content analysis, and communication network analysis. The results show that IPs are a new organizational innovation impacting positively on date palm social systems. They create powerful collective learning through their strong dynamism and interaction. The producers who adopted compost are characterized by a high level of education, take a responsible position in GIE, have a large social network, interact with the research team and other producers, engage and participate in the activities of IPs, search for agricultural news, and have the ability to accept change and develop their skills. Compost can improve the water-holding capacity of soil, increase yield, and reduce expenses by decreasing the need for water, fertilizers, and phytosanitary treatments. Compost is the best alternative to face the environmental and climate change drawbacks on the production of dates.