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Current socio-demographic and climate change challenges make agroecological transition in developing countries urgent. In institutional economics, the analysis of functional mechanisms referred to as “drivers of chang” indicates the institutional levers for the development of agroecological innovation processes. We study the functional dynamics of the stem fragment planting (“PIF”) process, a technological innovation produced by African agricultural research. Data are drawn from in-depth qualitative interviews and academic and non-academic literature. The Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) framework and the functional approach provide the conceptual and theoretical basis for this study. We use Event History Analysis (EHA) to identify functions and their dynamics. We identify three phases with incomplete functional loops. Missing functions and governance failures are the main hindrances to the success of the “PIF” technique. We thus give specific innovation policy recommendations for broader agroecological technological innovations in developing countries.JEL Codes: Q18, Q16, O3), B52