CEN/TC 223/WG 6 - Harmonization

This document provides an overview of relevant methods for the determination of specific parameters in growing media, including:
—   the electrical conductivity;
—   the pH;
—   dry matter;
—   the nitrogen, P2O5 (phosphorus pentoxide) and K2O (potassium oxide) content extractable by CaCl2/DTPA;
—   the total copper and zinc content;
—   the quantity.
This document is applicable to EU fertilizing products classified as PFC 4 and PFC 7 as long as the main function of the EU fertilizing product is classified as PFC 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1].
This document is not applicable to preformed materials such as mineral wool slabs and foam slabs.

This document provides an overview of relevant methods for the determination of specific parameters in solid soil improvers, including:
—   dry matter content;
—   nitrogen content;
—   P2O5 (phosphorus pentoxide) and K2O (potassium oxide) content;
—   chloride content;
—   copper and zinc content;
—   quantity.
This document is applicable to solid EU fertilizing products classified as PFC 3 and PFC 7 as long as the main function of the EU fertilizing product is classified as PFC 3 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1].

This document specifies references to methods for the determination of the following parameters:
—   pH;
—   electrical conductivity.
This document is applicable to solid EU fertilizing products classified as PFC 3(A) and PFC 7 as long as the main function of the EU fertilizing product is classified as PFC 3(A) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1].

This document provides an overview of relevant methods for the properties of compost and solid digestate when used in fertilizing products, including:
—   macroscopic impurities;
—   oxygen uptake rate;
—   self-heating factor.
This document is applicable to the following component material categories: CMC 3, CMC 4 and CMC 5, as specified in the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1].

This document specifies references to methods for sampling of soil improvers and growing media and sample preparation of soil improvers and growing media for subsequent determination of quality and quantity.
This document is applicable to EU fertilizing products classified as PFC 3, PFC 4 and PFC 7 as long as the main function of the EU fertilizing product is classified as PFC 3 or PFC 4, as specified in the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [2].

This document refers to methods to be used for the determination of specific parameters in organic soil improvers, but does not contain the methods themselves. The specific parameters in this document include:
—   pH;
—   electrical conductivity;
—   organic carbon content;
—   organic nitrogen content.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE   An organic soil improver consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).

This document refers to methods to be used for the determination of specific parameters in growing media, but does not contain the methods themselves. The specific parameters in this document include:
—   electrical conductivity;
—   chloride;
—   pH;
—   dry matter;
—   nitrogen, P2O5 (phosphorus pentoxide) and K2O (potassium oxide) content extractable by CaCl2/DTPA;
—   copper and zinc content;
—   quantity.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE   A growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).

This document specifies references to methods for sampling of soil improvers and growing media and sample preparation of soil improvers and growing media for subsequent determination of quality and quantity.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE   A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).

This document provides an overview of relevant methods for the determination of specific parameters in solid soil improvers, including:
— dry matter content;
— quantity;
— copper and zinc content;
— chloride content;
— nitrogen content;
— P2O5 (phosphorus pentoxide) and K2O (potassium oxide) content.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE A soil improver consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).

This document refers to methods to be used for the determination of specific parameters in compost, fresh crop digestate and digestate other than fresh crop digestate when used as components of fertilizing products, but does not contain the methods themselves. The specific parameters in this document include:
—   the determination of the PAH16 content;
—   macroscopic impurities;
—   the determination of temperature-time profiles during composting and digestion;
—   oxygen uptake rate;
—   self-heating factor;
—   the determination of the residual biogas potential in digestate.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE   A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).

This document refers to methods to be used for the determination of specific parameters in soil improvers and growing media, but does not contain the methods themselves. The specific parameters in this document include:
—   the cadmium content;
—   the lead content;
—   the nickel content;
—   the chromium (VI) content;
—   the mercury content;
—   the inorganic arsenic content;
—   the phosphonates content;
—   the total chromium content;
—   the bioavailable nickel content.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE   A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).

This document refers to methods to be used for the detection of Salmonella spp. and the enumeration of Escherichia coli and enterococci in soil improvers and growing media, but does not contain the methods themselves.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE   A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).