Let’s explore Baco, an innovative digital tool to reduce pesticide use in France. It was developed by agronomical engineers, Bruno PARIS and Léo KERAUDREN to simplify the work of French agricultural advisors. Baco is an agroecological advisory tool supported by the ASTREDHOR Institute of Plant Professionals, in partnership with the INRAE Sophia-Agrobiotech Institute and co-designed by a partnership group.
Purpose and acronym:
- Baco stands for “Biocontrol, Agroecology for Optimized Advice.” It’s an application designed to provide specialized advice, particularly for advisors working with ornamental crops.
- In France, the ornamental crop sector lacks satisfactory digital solutions to address the diversity of crops on farms and the associated operations and advice.
Functionality highlights:
- Recording Client Data: Advisors can easily register information related to their clients and agricultural plots. This includes parcel cartography, equipment lists, and product details.
- Diagnostics and Recommendations: Baco records infestation intensity and pest/disease locations. It provides diagnostics and recommendations, even for complex plots.
- Data Collaboration: The application allows data aggregation from other advisors, fostering collaboration within the agricultural community.
User-Centered:
- Advisors from the ASTREDHOR Institute actively participated in the development process. Through design thinking workshops, their needs and vision were considered to enhance advice services.
- Advisors received a toolkit, including a pad, to register client information and test Baco directly in the field.
- To ensure comfort during fieldwork, a special belt accompanies the large pad.
Today, Baco aims to become an essential service and research tool for all stakeholders in the agricultural ecosystem. Ranging from academic research to applied research, its impact extends from advisors to producers, contributing to more sustainable and efficient practices in French agriculture.
