Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies references to methods for the determination of the content of the following specific nutrients in inorganic fertilizers:

— the total nitrogen content;

— the ammoniacal nitrogen content;

— the nitric nitrogen content;

— the urea nitrogen content;

— the content of nitrogen from isobutylidenediurea (IBDU) and crotonylidenediurea (CDU);

— the cyanamide nitrogen content;

— the methylene-urea nitrogen content (and urea formaldehyde, if applicable);

— the total phosphorus content;

— the water-soluble phosphorus content;

— the neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus content;

— the formic acid soluble phosphorus content;

— the total potassium content;

— the water-soluble potassium content;

— the total magnesium content;

— the water-soluble magnesium content;

— the total calcium content;

— the water-soluble calcium content;

— the total sulfur content;

— the water-soluble sulfur content;

— the total sodium content;

— the water-soluble sodium content.

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 is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If inorganic fertilizer 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. Variations in analytical methods for fertilizing product blends can lead to differing results as some components or matrix interactions can affect the outcome. Validation procedures have shown that developed standard methods are robust and reliable across diverse product compositions, but possible interferences and unexpected results when analysing fertilizing product blends are possible.