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DS Logger 500
Portable multifunctional device for measuring soil compaction, soil moisture, soil temperature and electrical conductivity. Monitor the state of your fields and increase yields!
Problem

Soil condition, composition and its physical characteristics are important for optimal plant growth and obtaining good yields, since the soil is the main source of nutrition for the crop.

Soil moisture

Excess of soil moisture has a negative effect on plants, since oxygen is displaced from the soil and carbon dioxide accumulates, which results in inhibition and dying of the root system as well as the formation of various plant diseases With insufficient moisture, plants have excessive water stress as well as a shift in physiological activity. Cells and tissues lose their turgor, deep wilt occurs, which results in low productivity and possible death of plants.

Knowing the optimal soil moisture for various types of crops, you can significantly reduce the cost of irrigation and increase yield productivity.

Soil compaction

Soil compaction prevents the proper development of the root system of plants, reduces seed germination, worsens aeration during periods of increased humidity, and incurs additional costs associated with tillage.

By controlling the degree of compaction of the soil, optimal solutions for its processing can be achieved to increase yield productivity.

Salinity (EC)

Salinity (the accumulation of salts in the soil) reduces plant growth, causing a decrease in water availability. On saline soils, sensitive crops produce poor crops, and in some cases, crop losses can reach 100%.

By monitoring the condition of the soil for the presence of salt concentration in the soil (EC), you can make correct decisions that will contribute to desalinization and increase yield productivity.
Product

Soil Research Logger

Soil Research Logger consists of DS Logger 500 device and a sensor DSM 600. DS Logger 500 is a multifunctional device for measuring soil compaction, air temperature and air humidity. Together with sensor DSM 600, it measures soil temperature, soil moisture and soil conductivity (EC).

Measurements

soil compaction
electrical conductivity
soil moisture
air humidity
soil temperature
air temperature
With Soil Research Logger you do not need laboratory probes any more. Make measurements and take correct actions to manage your fields.

Technical specifications

Use the Soil Research Logger during the entire vegetation period for making correct and timely decisions concerning crops.

View detailed technical specifications
DS Logger 500:
Measurements
Air temperature and humidity
Device dimensions (WxHxD)
406x170x105 mm
Device weight
1,5 kg
Display
5’’ resistive touchscreen LCD display
GPS
SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS, GAGAN, MSAS)
GSM
Quad-Band 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
Built-in temperature and humudity sensor accuracy
Temperature: ±0.2°C; Humidity ±3%
Built-in memory
up to 5000 measurements
Battery Life
8000 mAh/ 10500 mAh (on request)
Charger
5V/2A
Device housing
ABS plastic
Sensor DSM 600:
Measurements
Soil moisture, soil temperature, electrical consuctivity
Maximum measuring depth
60 cm
Device dimensions
850х28 mm
Units of measure
Soil moisture - %
VWC Soil temperature - °C
Electrical conductivity - μS/cm
Measuring range
Soil moisture - from 0% to saturation
Soil temperature - from +5˚С to +40˚С
Electrical conductivity - from 0 to 7000 μS/cm
Accuracy
Soil moisture - ±3% VWC
Soil temperature - ±1˚С
Electrical conductivity - ±5%
Operation temperature
from +5˚С to +40˚С
Maximum loading weight
100 kg
Sensor housing
Stainless steel
Penetration probe
Measurements
Soil compaction
Maximum penetration depth
45 cm
Measurement step
2,5 cm
Maximum loading weight
200 kg
Units of measure
index psi, kPа or kgf/cm²
Tip types
½’’ for solid soil and ¾’’ for crumbly or sandy soil
Rod, tips
Stainless Steel
What you will get
DS Logger 500 is a portable smartphone for a farmer. It contains different types of measurements providing high precision results.
DS Logger 500 is a portable smartphone for a farmer
In-built GSM module: enables to go to the internet at any possible point and transfer data as well as get tasks. You can even call your colleagues in case of necessity!
In-built high precision GPS module: provides you with precise positioning about where and when you get measurement data and where you are at the moment in case you are lost.
E-compass: directs a farmer to the control point of measurement
Accelerometer: prevents from being in a hurry to take incorrect data by controlling the measurement speed.

The data correctness is also provided with the help of contactless sensors which control every millimeter of the measurement. Inside this clever device there are more than 20 different sensors and this is just the first step towards getting big data in agriculture!

Make measurements
Make measurements

Go to your field and make necessary measurements of soil compaction, soil moisture, soil temperature and electrical conductivity.

time up to
60s
Quick and precise results
up to
25hours
Works without battery recharge
built-in
GPS
Know where measurements are taken
View data

Monitor your measurement data in two possible ways - on the device and on the web platform. Choose what suits you best!

On the device

All measurement are shown in real time on the device display. Friendly interface is multilingual (English, German, Italian and French) . View data measurements in spreadsheets, graphs and location of measurements on the map when you need it.

time to
5000
measurements stored in device
5’’
sensor colored display
On the web platform

All data are available in web platform - Personal AFS Account. Data is automatically sent via sim-card. If your GSM connection is not appropriate, you can download data on computer via usb-cabel and send it to the cloud using AFS software

GSM
build-in
supports 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE
USB
cabel
for charging and data transmission
Web platform

The best experience of using AFS AGRO FLOW SYSTEM GmbH devices can be obtained with the web platform tailored to fit and complete all features of company’s products. View all data in Personal AFS Account in spreadsheets, graphs, maps in interpolation mode

Create fields

Create your own fields setting field boundaries on the map or uploading a file with already specified fields

View measurement data

View measurement data by each separate field, a group of fields or a particular device, represented in spreadsheets, graphs and maps

Manage fields, devices and staff

Manage fields and bring them together into a group, manage your staff and devices

Set tasks

Set tasks for accomplishing any of available for DS Logger 500 types of measurements, specifying a performer, coordinates and a deadline of measuring

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About company

AFS AGRO FLOW SYSTEM GmbH was established in 2017 and has extensive experience in the field of measuring precision farming equipment, as well as the integration of digital soil analysis solutions. Since its inception, the company meets all the requirements of the European market and is rapidly becoming one of the leaders in the production of equipment for the global agricultural sector.

We offer advanced solutions for field and laboratory soil studies, being an ideal partner for anyone working in the agroindustry, manufacturing irrigation equipment, landscaping, road construction, and related sectors.

The main customers of the company are agribusiness holding companies, farms, research laboratories of different levels, agricultural machinery distributors, road construction companies.

Certified in EU
Participant of AGRITECHNICA 2019
Participant of AGROTICA 2020
Participant of DLG Feldtage
Participant of Web Summit 2019
Finalist of Tech START-UP 2019 in Cologne
Winner of EBV IoT HERO AWARD 2020
Blog
5 challenges that will influence food production towards 2050
Main digital technologies in precision farming
Winner of the 3rd EBV IoT Hero Award
Why is it necessary to measure soil water content?
Go Global Award for AFS AGRO FLOW SYSTEM
FAQ
10 Frequently Asked Questions about soils
1) Why are soils important? Soils are the basis of life for a large number of plants and animals. Next, to their importance for biodiversity, soils are the essential substrate on which most agricultural plants grow. It means that this is where the food we eat comes from. In addition to that, soils play an important role in the structuration of the ground, which is essential for any sort of construction.

2) What is soil? Soil is a thin layer of material of about one meter thick on the Earth’s surface. It is a natural resource consisting of weathered mineral and organic materials, air and water. There are three main types of mineral particles that can be found in soils: sand, silt, and clay. The mineral composition of the soil affects its properties, such as the capacity to adsorb water and nutrients.

3) How is soil formed? Soil formation occurs with matter originated from erosion, weathering of the bedrock, and deposition of materials through wind and water. Here in the Netherlands, sedimentation of soil particles by wind, water, and ice has played a large role in the first step of soil formation. The second step in soil formation is the weathering by physical, chemical and biological processes on this matter.

4) Why do plants grow in soils? Plants thrive in soils because it brings them everything they need. They offer stability for their roots to support the stem, and nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They also contain a vast amount of interconnecting cavities – or “holes” in which the roots can find air and water, two essential elements for their growth.

5) What is soil quality? The definition of soil quality depends on the use of the soil. A good quality soil for agricultural production differs from good quality soil used for building houses. In the case of agricultural production, physical, chemical and biological factors determining soil quality may be distinguished. Examples of physical factors are soil structure and water holding capacity. Regarding chemical factors, examples are pH or total amounts and available fractions of plant nutrients. Biological factors determine the capacity of the soil organisms to recycle nutrients and to resist to plant diseases.

6) What is a healthy soil? Healthy soil is a stable living environment which enables all essential biological processes, and which is resistant against pests and diseases. It contains enough diversity of organisms coexisting so that germs do not affect it dramatically. Moreover, healthy soil is able to recycle nutrients from the decomposition of organic matter into plant available forms, without high losses of nutrients in the environment.

7) How healthy soil worldwide? Roughly, three different situations for soils may be distinguished. First, soils in natural ecosystems that are long-established: these systems are usually sustainable and are not threatened if they are not colonized by men.
Secondly, soils that are under the influence of men, for example, used for farming purposes: In these cases, it depends on the farming systems. If the farmers take care of their soils, and for example avoid monocropping without rotation, the soils can keep their properties. I foresee that in the Netherlands and more generally in Europe, the soils will maintain their level of fertility in spite of threats such as soil compaction and intensification of agricultural production. However, in regions of other continents, risks of soil degradation are higher due to desertification, stronger climate change impacts, and salinization.
Thirdly, soils that were part of natural ecosystems and that are colonized by men, for example, the Amazon rainforest being clear-cut for agriculture: these soils are at high risks of losing fertility because of processes such as erosion. Technically, it would be possible for farmers to maintain these soils in good health, but experience shows that the agricultural practices in these cases are often too demanding.

8) How can we protect soils? Soils are parts of different ecosystems with varying biophysical conditions. It is important to consider them as unique: no single solution can be applied to all unhealthy soils. To be able to optimize the conditions for plant growth, we should learn more about what the soils need, and the best way to do that is to test soils. In general, soil degradation should be prevented by careful use and management of the soil. This means for example that erosion should be tackled, the conditions for plant growth should be optimized and plant diseases should be prevented by the selection of good crop rotations.

9) What is the biggest challenge for soil scientist today? Soils play an important role in the fight against climate change. It has been proven that a massive amount of carbon is stored in soils. Nowadays, there is on-going research looking at the potential of soils to store more carbon, but also at how much CO2 could be released from soils in the case of agriculture.

10) Is soil a renewable resource? No, it is not a renewable resource. In theory, soil regeneration is possible for polluted or unhealthy soils. However, regeneration takes so much more time compared to the pollution that soils should not be considered as a renewable resource.
What is the difference between precision, digital and smart farming?
Modernization of agriculture and the use of digital technology have caused new concepts to emerge such as precision farming, digital farming, and smart farming. These terms, despite often used interchangeably, have a subtle difference in meaning.

▪ Precision farming or precision agriculture? The European Parliament’s report on Precision agriculture and the future of farming in Europe defines precision agriculture as: “a modern farming management concept using digital techniques to monitor and optimize agricultural production processes”. The key point here is optimization. Instead of applying an equal amount of fertilizers over an entire field, precision agriculture involves measuring the within-field soil variations and adapting the fertilizer strategy accordingly. This leads to optimized fertilizer usage, saving costs and reducing the environmental impact.

▪ Smart farming Smart farming is the application of information and data technologies for optimizing complex farming systems. The focus is rather on access to data and the application of these data – how the collected information can be used in a smart way.

▪ Digital farming The essence of digital farming lies in creating value from data. Digital Farming means to go beyond the mere presence and availability of data and create actionable intelligence and meaningful added value from such data. Digital farming is integrating both concepts – precision farming and smart farming. According to a paper on Digital Agriculture by DLG (German Agricultural Society), digital farming is understood to mean “consistent application of the methods of precision farming and smart farming, internal and external networking of the farm and use of web-based data platforms together with Big Data analyses”.
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