Drivers of Farmer Adoption for Livestock Feed Inoculants: The Role of Perceived Innovation Attributes

This study aims to analyze the influence of perceived attributes of innovation namely relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, and trialability on the adoption of superior inoculant technology for livestock feed fermentation. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 200 farmers in Barru Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, from September to November 2025, using a purposive sampling technique. The measurement instrument was developed based on the perceived attributes of innovation framework. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS software. Results from the measurement model indicate that all constructs demonstrate satisfactory reliability and convergent validity, with outer loading values above 0.70, Composite Reliability and Cronbach’s Alpha values exceeding 0.70, and Average Variance Extracted values above 0.50. Discriminant validity was also confirmed using the Fornell–Larcker criterion. Structural model results show that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, and trialability significantly influence adoption of superior inoculant technology. Relative advantage has the strongest positive effect on adoption, indicating that farmers are more likely to adopt the technology when they perceive clear benefits such as improved fermentation efficiency, enhanced feed quality, cost reduction, and increased output. Compatibility and trialability also positively influence adoption, suggesting that technologies aligned with existing farming practices and allowing opportunities for experimentation are more readily adopted. In contrast, complexity exhibits a significant negative effect, indicating that perceived difficulty in using the technology hinders adoption. The model explains 20.9% of the variance in adoption behavior (R² = 0.209) and demonstrates adequate predictive relevance. The relatively modest explanatory power indicates that adoption decisions are also shaped by broader contextual determinants that were not captured in this perception-based model, such as economic capacity, access to inoculant inputs, extension support, and farmers’ social networks. These findings highlight that the adoption of superior inoculant technology is shaped by farmers’ practical and experiential evaluations rather than by technical characteristics alone.The study contributes to the literature on agricultural innovation adoption by providing a context-specific, perceptionbased model of adoption behavior and offers practical insights for policymakers, extension agents, and technology developers seeking to promote sustainable livestock feed fermentation practices. Technology