Gödselmedel

This document specifies a routine method for determining the organic matter and the ash content of soil improvers and growing media. NOTE The loss on ignition (LOI) is often used as an estimate for the content of organic matter in the sample. Inorganic substances or decomposition products (e.g. H2O, CO2, SO2, O2) are released or absorbed and some inorganic substances are volatile under the reaction conditions. Thus, a conversion to the organic carbon content is not possible.

This document specifies a method for the determination of the content of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc in fertilizers and liming materials using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after aqua regia dissolution. Limits of quantification are dependent on the sample matrix as well as on the instrument, but can roughly be expected to be 0,3 mg/kg for Cd and 1 mg/kg for Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. This document is applicable to the fertilizing products blends where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following components: fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, plant biostimulants and where the following category: inorganic fertilizers and liming materials is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If inorganic fertilizers and liming materials is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a fertilizing product blend is composed of components in equal quantity, the user decides which standard to apply. NOTE 1 The term fertilizer is used throughout this document and needs to be taken to include liming materials unless otherwise indicated. NOTE 2 Dissolution by aqua regia is equivalent to digestion and extract and digest are equivalent terms in this sense for the purposes of this standard.

This document specifies an instrumental method for the routine determination of pH in a suspension of soil improvers or growing media.

This document specifies an instrumental method for the routine determination of electrical conductivity in a water extract of a soil improver or growing medium. The determination is carried out to obtain an indication of the content of water soluble electrolytes in either soil improvers or growing media.

This document describes a method to determine the stability of materials (e.g. compost, digestate) used as components (ingredients) in growing media, soil improvers and organic fertilisers by measuring the oxygen uptake rate (OUR). The oxygen uptake rate is a direct parameter for the degradation rate of biodegradable organic matter that is being broken down within a specified time period. The method is not suitable for material with a content of particle sizes > 20 mm exceeding 20 % by volume. NOTE The relation between the degradation rate and the oxygen uptake rate under the same conditions is depending on the type of material, for example by the C/N ratio. So it is important for the interpretation and limit values to be set based on the type of material.

This document specifies a method for the determination of the residual biogas potential in digestate in an anaerobic environment.

This document specifies a method for the determination of the organic nitrogen content in organic soil improvers.

This document specifies a method for extraction, separation, and determination of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in growing media and soil improvers using anion-exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or ion chromatography (IC) coupled to ICP-MS. 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 document 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 document 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 specifies a method for the determination of total organic carbon (TOC) in soil improvers and growing media containing more than 1 g carbon per kg of dry matter (0,1 %). NOTE Samples with a low dry matter content can have an influence on the achievable limit of quantification as defined in the scope (i.e. 1 g carbon per kg of dry matter).

This document specifies a routine method for preparing a sample of organic soil improver, inorganic soil improver, growing medium, compost or digestate prior to chemical analysis and physical testing. The procedures described herein apply only to those samples that are supplied to a laboratory in the form in which they will be used for their intended purpose and to samples with a manufacturer’s guidance for reconstitution. NOTE 1 The determination of the laboratory bulk density is given in Annex A. NOTE 2 The results of an interlaboratory trial to determine moisture content are given in Annex B. NOTE 3 The results of an interlaboratory trial to determine laboratory bulk density are given in Annex B.

This document specifies a method to determine the aerobic biological activity using a self-heating test. This method is only applicable to composted material.