Adoption of a Discontinuous PDM Innovation in Agriculture: Rough‐Terrain Forklift Trucks Available to Purchase

Contends that the majority of industrial innovations are of the continuous or dynamically continuous type. Discusses developments of new products, which mostly have their origins in something approaching that which is a substitute for something already marketed. Highlights such developments as being termed ‘continuous’ and ‘dynamically continuous’ innovations. States that a study of ‘discontinuous’ innovations (creation of a genuinely novel product and all that means) is comparatively rare. Moots that the consideration of examples of TV and computers reveal infrequent emergence of such products. Investigates one such agricultural innovation, which has emerged from diffusions of a relatively discontinuous agricultural innovation, from the purchase of rough‐terrain forklift trucks (RTFLTs), originally developed for use by builders, to carry out farm duties. Proposes that adoption of RTFLTs by farmers requires new patterns of consumption as it results in purchases of a new piece of farm equipment, diminishing demand for tractors. Uses results from a postal questionnaire to 200 farmers, of which 62 per cent sent usable responses, and uses a table to emphasise results. Concludes that this investigation succeeds in attempts to identify and measure farmers characteristics with regard to innovations with machinery.