PTA index: a method for the participatory and holistic appraisal of prototypes and agricultural tools

摘要

In the rural context, it is necessary to develop agricultural tools according to local contexts to reduce occupational risks, facilitate labor, conserve natural elements, and reduce the use of fossil fuels and the dependency on external inputs. Within this context, this article emphasizes the importance of the participatory development of technology and presents an index for the participatory prototype and agricultural tool appraisal (PTA index v1.0) and its application for the evaluation of the bajachonta, a technological model for the harvesting of bunches of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.) in Colombia. It can be concluded that the proposed index is a simple, flexible and useful method to evaluate the potential scaling of prototypes of agricultural tools in a participatory manner, as well as to orient the design process and/or help in technology selection.