This manual presents a framework for the R&D model that fosters active cooperation between agricultural research institutions (such as the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, NARC) and local government extension services. By bridging research and extension, the model aims to make improved agricultural technologies readily accessible to farmers, directly contributing to increased productivity and resilience. This manual serves as a comprehensive guide for agricultural extension personnel, researchers, and farmers, outlining each step in the R&D process, from problem identification and research to field-level application and feedback collection. It provides practical methods for integrating farmers’ insights into research, ensuring that the solutions developed are relevant, feasible, and impactful.

Through a participatory approach, the R&D model empowers farmers, researchers, and extension workers to interact and work together, leveraging local knowledge, scientific insights, and field experience for the better adoption of agricultural technologies. The R&D model acknowledges farmers not just as end users but as co-creators of technologies ensuring that agricultural practices meet the real needs of the farmers. The exchange of knowledge among researchers, extension workers and farmers are facilitated through result and method demonstrations which are critical tools in the participatory R&D model. These demonstrations provide farmers with hands-on exposure to new practices, showcasing both the process and the outcomes of adopting specific innovations. Result demonstrations show the outputs of recommended practices, while method demonstrations provide practical instructions. These demonstrations allow farmers to assess the benefits firsthand and build confidence in new technologies, promoting adoption and adaptation based on their observations.