Purpose To support the sustainable development of smallholder farms, bridging the gap between generic scientific knowledge and local knowledge relevant to farmers' socio-ecological niches represents a challenge for advisory services. We explore two approaches supporting farmers in the tailoring of technical options to their own farm systems. Design/Methodology/Approach We present two case studies in which farmers are supported in the adaptation of sustainable cropping practices and describe the mechanisms at play for the tailoring of technical options using the concept of tailoring effort. Findings In the case of Farmer Field Schools (FFS), the tailoring occurs during discussions with the farmers, when the facilitator contextualizes technical options to suit farmers' expressed priorities and constraints. Each farmer can then choose what is relevant to their situation. In the case of crop models (CM), the tailoring happens when researchers parametrize the model as closely as possible to farmers' environments and practices, and then use simulation results in discussions with farmers. Practical implications Possible complementarity between FFS and CM could be explored for advisory services. Advisors need to acquire the skills for collaboration with farmers and facilitation approaches that support the tailoring of generic knowledge to farmers' priorities and constraints. Theoretical implications We highlight the importance of considering what is required from the different stakeholders to make the tailoring process to a socio-ecological niche effective, when supporting farmers in transition towards sustainable agricultural systems.