FprEN 12944-2

• Abstract:

  This document defines terms relating to fertilizers.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 13-Jan-2027
• ICS: 01.040.65 - Agriculture (Vocabularies)
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 260 - Fertilizers and liming materials
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 260/WG 1 - Sampling
• Current Stage: 4599 - Dispatch of FV draft to CMC - Finalization for Vote
• Start Date: 16-Jul-2026
• Due Date: 15-Jul-2026
• Completion Date: 16-Jul-2026
• Directive: Harmonized Standard2019/1009 - Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 (Text with EEA relevance)
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 12944-2:2026 - Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors - Vocabulary - Part 2: Terms relating to fertilizers

• Revises: EN 12944-2:1999/AC:2000 - Fertilizers and liming materials - Vocabulary - Part 2: Terms relating to fertilizers
• Effective Date: 25-Jun-2025
• Revises: EN 12944-2:1999 - Fertilizers and liming materials and soil improvers - Vocabulary - Part 2: Terms relating to fertilizers
• Effective Date: 18-Jan-2023

Overview

FprEN 12944-2: Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors - Vocabulary - Part 2: Terms relating to fertilizers is a European Standard developed by CEN/TC 260. This standard defines essential terminology related to fertilizers and provides a foundational vocabulary for all stakeholders in the fertilizers industry. By establishing clear and consistent terminology, the standard supports harmonization, clarity, and effective communication across manufacturers, suppliers, regulatory agencies, and end-users throughout Europe and internationally.

The scope of FprEN 12944-2 includes a comprehensive alphabetical list of terms relating to fertilizers, with definitions in English, French, and German. An informative annex provides an indexed list of all defined terms. Terms that are self-explanatory may not be explicitly defined within this part.

Key Topics

This European standard covers several key areas relating to fertilizers:

• General Product Terms: Definitions for types of fertilizers such as dried blood, bone meal, guano, manure, peat, oil cake, and fish meal.
• Macronutrient Forms: Terms describing the forms and availability of primary macronutrients in fertilizers, such as total nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, ureic nitrogen, nitric nitrogen, total phosphorus, water-soluble phosphorus, and total potassium.
• Slow-release Nitrogen Fertilizers: Terminology for modern slow-release products, including isobutylidene diurea (IBDU), crotonylidene diurea (CDU), triazone, urea formaldehyde (UF), and methylene urea (MU).
• Physical and Chemical Properties: Standardized vocabulary regarding properties important for product quality and application, such as bulk density, porosity, caking, disintegrable rate, crushing strength, salt-out temperature, gel strength, and flow rate.
• Safety-Related Terms: Clear definitions of terms relevant to the safe handling and classification of fertilizers, including resistance to detonation, oxidizing solids and liquids, GHS labelling, and self-sustaining decomposition.
• Other Relevant Concepts: Additional vocabulary concerning aspects like free acidity, moisture, water of crystallisation, vegetative vigour, seedling emergence, and longevity of nutrient availability.

Applications

The vocabulary defined in FprEN 12944-2 has broad practical value and applicability for various stakeholders across the fertilizer supply chain:

• Manufacturers and Formulators: Ensures uniform language in product development, technical datasheets, labeling, and safety documentation.
• Regulators and Inspectors: Facilitates compliance with EU fertilizer regulations (e.g., Regulation (EU) 2019/1009) and supports standardized product classification and market surveillance.
• Distributors and Retailers: Supports accurate product identification and logistics, reducing misunderstandings and errors in supply chains.
• Researchers and Agronomists: Provides a clear frame of reference for scientific studies, literature, and technology transfer.
• End-users (Farmers, Contractors): Promotes transparent communication regarding product attributes, performance, and safety, aiding in efficient and safe application.

The multilingual aspect of the standard (terms in English, French, and German) fosters pan-European trade and communication, facilitating the marketability of fertilizer products within the EU and internationally.

Related Standards

For comprehensive coverage and integration, FprEN 12944-2 directly relates to the following standards:

• FprEN 12944-1: Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors - Vocabulary - Part 1: General terms
• EN 12944-3: Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors - Vocabulary - Part 3: Terms relating to liming materials
• EN 13535: Fertilizers and liming materials - Classification
• ISO 8157:2022: Fertilizers, soil conditioners and beneficial substances - Vocabulary
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1009: Lays down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products

By adopting FprEN 12944-2, market players ensure alignment with standardized terminology and legal requirements, supporting consistent information exchange, regulatory compliance, and product safety in the fertilizer sector.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-marec-2026
Gnojila, sredstva za apnjenje in inhibitorji - Slovar - 2. del: Izrazi v zvezi z gnojili
Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors - Vocabulary - Part 2: Terms relating to
fertilizers
Düngemittel und Kalkdünger - Vokabular - Teil 2: Begriffe für Düngemittel
Engrais et amendements calciques et/ou magnésiens - Vocabulaire - Partie 2: Termes
relatifs aux engrais
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 12944-2
ICS:
01.040.65 Kmetijstvo (Slovarji) Agriculture (Vocabularies)
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 12944-2
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
January 2026
ICS 01.040.65 Will supersede EN 12944-2:1999
English Version
Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors - Vocabulary -
Part 2: Terms relating to fertilizers
Engrais, amendements minéraux basiques et Düngemittel, Kalkdünger und Hemmstoffe - Begriffe -
inhibiteurs - Vocabulaire - Partie 2: Termes relatifs aux Teil 2: Begriffe für Düngemittel
engrais
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 260.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 12944-2:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

prEN 12944-2 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
3.1 General terms related to products . 5
3.2 Availability and declaration forms of primary macronutrients . 7
3.3 Terms relating to physical and physico-chemical properties . 9
3.4 Terms relating to safety . 11
3.5 Other terms . 12
Annex A (informative) Index . 14
Bibliography . 17
prEN 12944-2 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 12944-2:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 260
“Fertilizers and liming materials”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 12944-2:1999 and EN 12944-2:1999/AC:2000.
In comparison with the previous edition, the following technical modifications have been made:
— Définitions reviewed, amended and extended where appropriate in light of new legislation,
international and other European standards;
— Inclusion of the following terms: isobutylidene diurea, crotonylidene diurea, triazone, cold water-
insoluble nitrogen, cold water-soluble nitrogen, hot water-insoluble nitrogen, hot water-soluble
nitrogen, hot water-soluble nitrogen only, total nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitric nitrogen,
ureic nitrogen, cyanamide nitrogen, total phosphorus, water-soluble phosphorus, neutral
ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus, formic acid soluble phosphorus, total potassium, water-
soluble potassium, density, disintegrable rate, salt out temperature, resistance to detonation,
oxidizing solid, oxidizing liquid, GHS label, seedling emergence and growth, self-sustaining
decomposition, free acidity, neutralizing value, vegetative vigour, essential water, water of
crystallisation, water of constitution, longevity;
— The term particle size analysis by sieving/granulometry by sieving was deleted and moved to prEN
12944-1 rev [1];
— The term apparent density was deleted.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
EN 12944, Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors — Vocabulary, currently consists of the
following parts:
— Part 1: General terms.
— Part 2: Terms relating to fertilizers.
— Part 3: Terms relating to liming materials.
These définitions do not necessarily correspond with those used in national legislation.
NOTE A classification scheme for fertilizers and liming materials is given in EN 13535 [2]
prEN 12944-2 (E)
Introduction
Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors are définéd in Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [3].
An index of all terms définéd in this part of the EN 12944 series is given in Annex A, Table A.1 in English,
French and German.
prEN 12944-2 (E)
1 Scope
This document définés terms relating to fertilizers.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and définitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
3.1 General terms related to products
3.1.1
basic slag
product obtained in iron-smelting by treatment of phosphorus-containing melts and with calcium silico-
phosphates as essential ingredients
Note 1 to entry: The terms “Thomas phosphate” and “Thomas slag” are used in some countries to describe basic
slag.
3.1.2
dried blood
blood meal
blood which has been dried and to which no other material has been added
3.1.3
bone meal
degreased bone which may be degelatinized and which has been ground or crushed to pass a sieve of
spécifiéd aperture size
3.1.4
dung
semi-solid excrements of animals used as fertilizers and/or soil improvers
3.1.5
fish compost
product obtained by composting fish and/or fish waste and to which no addition has been made
Note 1 to entry: Fish waste also includes fish excrements.
3.1.6
fish meal
product obtained by drying and grinding fish and/or fish waste and to which no addition has been made
3.1.7
guano
excrement and remains of any bats or birds, except poultry, containing nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium, and to which no addition has been made
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.12 – modifiéd, term changed from bat guano or bird guano to guano]
prEN 12944-2 (E)
3.1.8
leather waste
waste in a form of pieces or powder resulting from the manufacture of leather goods
3.1.9
liquid manure
liquid arising from animal urine and litter flüids or from a dung heap
3.1.10
manure
excrement and/or urine of farmed animals other than farmed fish, with or without litter
Note 1 to entry: Based on Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, Annex II, CMC 15 (2) (b) (viii) [3]
3.1.11
meat meal
product obtained by drying and grinding, or otherwise treating, flésh or flésh fibré and to which no
addition has been made
3.1.12
oil cake
residue remaining after the removal of the oil from oilseeds
3.1.13
peat
form of humus, created out of residual matter from plants grown and decayed in almost permanently
waterlogged conditions and which can contain a limited quantity of naturally occurring mineral material
3.1.14
slurry
semi-liquid éfflüént from livestock, consisting of urine and faeces, possibly diluted with water
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.24]
3.1.15
urea formaldehyde
UF
slow-release nitrogenous fertilizer obtained by the reaction between urea and formaldehyde to produce
molecular chains of general formula NH -CO-NH(CH NHCONH) H
2 2 n
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.26]
3.1.16
methylene urea
MU
polymethylene urea
slow-release nitrogenous fertilizer obtained by the reaction between urea and formaldehyde to produce
oligomers or adducts of urea and formaldehyde
Note 1 to entry: It is chiéfly composed of cold water soluble fraction from methylenediurea (MDU) and
dimethylenetriurea (DMTU) hot water soluble fraction from trimethylenetetraurea (TMTU) and
tetramethylenepentaurea (TMPU) and hot water insoluble fractions from longer chain oligomers. It is generally
free of methylolureas and methylol ethers. It is a source of slowly available nitrogen.
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.26.1]
prEN 12944-2 (E)
3.1.17
isobutylidene diurea
IBDU
slow-release nitrogenous fertilizer obtained by the reaction between urea and isobutyraldehyde
Note 1 to entry: It is a source of slowly available nitrogen by virtue of particle size, solubility decreasing with
increase in particle size.
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.26.2]
3.1.18
crotonylidene diurea
CDU
slow-release nitrogenous fertilizer obtained by the reaction between urea and crotonaldehyde
Note 1 to entry: It is a source of slowly available nitrogen.
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.26.3]
3.1.19
triazone
water soluble compound of formula C H N O [5-(N-methyl)-urea-1,3,5-triazin-2-one or 5-
5 11 5 2
methyleneureido-2-oxohexahydro-s triazine], produced by reaction of urea, formaldehyde, and
ammonia
Note 1 to entry: It is a source of slowly available nitrogen.
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.26.9]
3.1.20
urea condensate
product of reaction between urea and aldehyde(s) that produces a slow-release nitrogenous fertilizer
EXAMPLE        Urea formaldehyde (UF), methylene urea (MU), crotonylidene diurea (CDU), isobutylidene diurea
(IBDU), triazone.
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.25]
3.2 Availability and declaration forms of primary macronutrients
3.2.1
cold water-insoluble nitrogen
CWIN
insoluble nitrogen fractions in urea formaldehyde or methylene urea products that are insoluble in
phosphate buffer solution (pH 7,5) or distilled water at 25 °C during a 15-min period
[SOURCE: ISO 8157:2022 [4], 3.2.8.26.4]
3.2.2
cold water-soluble nitrogen
CWSN
soluble nitrogen fraction in urea formaldehyde or methylene urea products that is soluble in phosphate
b
...