Ferrari E., Bollani L., Coccia M., Cavallo E., Working Paper Cnr-Ceris, N. 05/2013

Technological Innovations in Agricultural
Tractors: Adopters’ behaviour towards
new technological trajectories
and future directions
Ester Ferrari
PhD Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER),
Italian National Research Council (CNR), Torino, Italy.

Luigi Bollani
Researcher, University of Turin, Department of Economics and Statistics, Torino, Italy

Mario Coccia
Economist at the Institute for economic research on firm and growth (CERIS-CNR),
Italian National Research Council (CNR), Torino, Italy.

Eugenio Cavallo*
M.Sc. Agr. Eng., Researcher, Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER),
Italian National Research Council (CNR), Torino, Italy.

*Corresponding author
e-mail: e.cavallo@imamoter.cnr.it

ABSTRACT: Latest advancements in tractors engineering have allowed farmers to increase productivity,
and simultaneously to reduce operator’s hazards. However, little attention has been given to farmers’
behaviour and attitude toward the adoption of technological innovations concerning agricultural tractors.
The study explores farmers’ behaviours on agricultural tractors current and future technological
trajectories. A main case study concerning Italy is analyzed. Results show three different behaviours of
farmers concerning tractors’ technological innovations. These adopters’ profiles would help developing
new technologies that satisfy, more and more, farmers’ needs and expectations, speeding up the adoption
process, enhancing agricultural tractors’ efficacy and efficiency.

Keywords: agricultural tractor, technological innovation, technological trajectories, adopters,
farmers.
JEL Codes: Q16; Q55; O33
We also thank Ceris-CNR staff and Prof. S. Rolfo of CERIS-CNR for supporting this research field. We thank the participants at 5 th
International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture, Food and Environment (HAICTA 2011)
for fruitful suggestions and comments. We extend our appreciations to UNACOMA for the technical and logistical assistance during
EIMA International 2010. The authors in parentheses (LB: Luigi Bollani; EC: Eugenio Cavallo; MC: Mario Coccia; EF: Ester
Ferrari) have made substantial contributions to the following tasks of research: Conception (EC&EF); Theoretical background
(MC&EC); Research design (EC&EF); Results and discussion: trends and relationships between variables (EF); Results and
discussion: multivariate analysis (LB); Lessons learned and concluding remarks (EC&EF&LB); drafting of the manuscript
(MC&EF); critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content (MC); supervision (MC&EC), project coordination
(EC). The usual disclaimer holds, however.