Difficulties of extension & research relationships and possible linkage mechanism

The relationship between agricultural extension & research is one of the most important topics in the literature of agricultural extension & development. It seems that extension experts have attended this issue more than agricultural research specialists. Different studies show that there are some obstacles which disturb a desirable linkage between two services. Of the most important difficulties we must list the followings: lack of efficient balance between agricultural research from one side and agricultural extension & education from the other side. Extension organizations do not have initiative to establish linkage with research departments. Also lack of enough number of experts in extension units due to the cultural gap between the researcher and the extension expert are other problems lied here. In addition to these, the most important mechanisms to establish linkage between extension and research consist of organizational integration of two services. Liaison units, participation of senior researchers in in-service training of extension agents, joint service units, joint location for two services, and periodic transfer of extension personnel to research departments, periodic transfer of researchers to extension units.