Q & A – Questions & Agronomists, with Ludovic Bossel from Groupe Ducharme

As part of our Q and A: Questions and Agronomists series, we spoke with Ludovic Bossel of Groupe Ducharme, a company located in Centre-du-Québec region that works with many growers in the area and the surroundings.

Originally from Switzerland, Ludovic has had both feet deeply rooted in Quebec for over 25 years and he works with growers to help them optimize their soil, their fields and especially their crops.

We asked him what makes the Climate FieldView^TM digital platform a preferred tool for him and many of his customers. Here's what he told us.

Q: When you first started using FieldView, what feature did you find most interesting and useful to your customers?

A: I would say the use of the data. I knew we had customers who had yield maps created by their combines, but that information was sitting there, unused. The next year, we would hit "reset", losing all the data. That's when I saw the importance of FieldView. With the platform, the information is uploaded automatically and seamlessly. And it's easier to use that data to optimize your field. It's also extremely easy to share information among the different stakeholders, which is very useful for everyone.

Q: And what has prompted your customers to use the FieldView platform in their daily routines?

A: For many of our customers, the main benefit is the various yield analysis tools. On the other hand, I have growers who don't necessarily have a combine and still use the platform. They use it a lot as a logbook, entering seeding dates or application data. For them, it's a real digital field notebook. Some growers were interested in gathering electronic data. We got them onboard this platform and they love it.

Q: Do you have an example of a situation where FieldView has been particularly useful to a customer?

A: I was talking with a customer who does custom combining. He was telling me what he likes about FieldView is that, at the end of the day, once he's finished combining the field, he simply sends the yield map to the customer via text or email right from the app. He appreciates how easy it is to send yield maps. It's useful on his own farm, but even more when he's doing work for others. It's easy to share the info. That’s one of the platform’s big advantages.

Q: Which FieldView feature is most useful for your work?

A: Definitely sharing information between the grower, his workers and me via the mobile app on the phone or iPad. I have some customers with land in different locations. If we're talking about "field 2", I can find it easily. The grower can take a picture or notes saying he saw this or that in such and such an area, in such and such a spot, and text that to me. It's instantaneous. The interactive follow-ups with notes shared between the grower and the rep, that's a very useful feature.

Q: Having all the information stored in one place seems to be very convenient; is this the case?

A: In fact, I have a customer who has used several systems, but once he started using FieldView, he stayed on the platform. He has different brands of equipment, tractors, combines and they all talk to each other. It's really a software program designed with the grower in mind. With the ability to share easily between different team members. All the information is gathered in one place and on the same platform that can be accessed by several people.

Q: How much can the platform's historical data help growers?

A: The more historical data we have, the easier it is to know where we are going. When you combine yield maps, soil analysis and satellite imagery all on the same platform, it’s easier to make the right diagnosis. We can determine what we need to improve, in which areas of the field we need to work and if it keeps coming back. Historical data has a lot to say. FieldView allows us to have an accurate and instant picture of the field, but also helps in future decisions.

Q: Anything else you would like to share with us?

Like any tool, it takes a little time to properly enter, manage and analyze data. But often, the more you do, the more you like it. It's a very user-friendly platform, simple to use and easy to understand, even for people who are less adept with technology.

All in all, I would say that FieldView is an extremely affordable tool that anyone can use. If you want to keep track of your field, have records, gather data and improve your results, it's worth it. We’re in 2021, and we should all be able to use technology to help us achieve the best performance possible.