prEN 17733

Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling and sample preparation

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).

Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate - Methoden für Probenahme und Probenvorbereitung

In diesem Dokument sind Verweisungen auf Verfahren der Probenahme von Bodenverbesserungsmitteln und Kultursubstraten sowie der Probenvorbereitung von Bodenverbesserungsmitteln und Kultursubstraten für die anschließende Bestimmung von Qualität und Menge aufgeführt.
Dieses Dokument ist für Düngeproduktmischungen anwendbar, wenn die Mischung aus mindestens zwei Düngemittelprodukten der folgenden Kategorien besteht: Düngemittel, Kalkdünger, Bodenverbesserungsmittel, Kultursubstrate, Hemmstoffe und Pflanzen-Biostimulanzien, sowie wenn Bodenverbesserungsmittel und/oder Kultursubstrate die Bestandteile mit dem höchsten Massen- oder Volumenanteil in der Mischung oder, im Fall von Produkten in flüssiger Form, dem höchsten Trockenmasseanteil sind. Wenn die Bodenverbesserungsmittel und/oder Kultursubstrate nicht den höchsten prozentualen Anteil in der Mischung ausmachen, ist die für den Bestandteil mit dem höchsten prozentualen Anteil in der Mischung geltende Europäische Norm anwendbar. Falls eine Mischung aus in gleichen Mengen gemischten Düngeprodukten besteht, entscheidet der Anwender, welche Norm angewendet wird.
ANMERKUNG   Ein Bodenverbesserungsmittel oder Kultursubstrat besteht aus einem einzigen schüttfähigen (Volumen aufbauenden) Bestandteil oder aus einem Gemisch schüttfähiger (Volumen aufbauender) Bestandteile (z. B. Torf, Holzfasern, Kokosfasern, Kompost, Blähperlit).

Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Méthodes d’échantillonnage et de préparation de l’échantillon

Le présent document spécifie les références aux méthodes d’échantillonnage et de préparation de l’échantillon des amendements du sol et des supports de culture en vue d’une détermination ultérieure de la qualité et de la quantité.
Le présent document est applicable aux mélanges de produits fertilisants constitués d’au moins deux produits fertilisants appartenant aux catégories suivantes : engrais, amendements minéraux basiques, amendements du sol, supports de culture, inhibiteurs et biostimulants des végétaux et, dans lesquels les amendements du sol et/ou les supports de culture sont les composants qui représentent le pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange en masse ou en volume, ou dans le cas d’un liquide, en masse sèche. Si les amendements du sol et/ou les supports de culture ne sont pas les composants qui représentent le pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange, la Norme européenne applicable au composant ayant le pourcentage le plus élevé dans le mélange s’applique. Dans le cas où le mélange de produits fertilisants est constitué de composants en quantités égales, l’utilisateur décide quelle norme appliquer.
NOTE   Un amendement du sol ou un support de culture se compose d’un seul composant volumineux (augmentant le volume) ou d’un mélange de composants volumineux (augmentant le volume) (par exemple, la tourbe, les fibres de bois, la fibre de coco, le compost, la perlite expansée).

Izboljševalci tal in rastni substrati - Metode za vzorčenje in pripravo vzorcev

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 28-Feb-2027
• ICS: 65.080 - Fertilizers
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 223 - Soil improvers and growing media
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 223/WG 6 - Harmonization
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 11-Dec-2025
• Due Date: 08-Oct-2025
• Completion Date: 11-Dec-2025
• Directive: 2019/1009 - 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
• Mandate: M/564 AMD 1 - amending Implementing Decision C(2020) 612 as regards certain harmonised standards and standardisation deliverables, deadlines for their adoption and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request
• Mandate: M/564 AMD 2 - Commission Implementing decision amending Implementing Decision C(2020)612 as regards harmonised standards, the deadlines for the adoption of those standards and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards the EU fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 17733:2026 - Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling and sample preparation

Relations

• Revises: CEN/TS 17733:2022 - Soil improvers and growing media - Sampling and sample preparation
• Effective Date: 20-Nov-2024
• Revises: EN 12579:2013 - Soil improvers and growing media - Sampling
• Effective Date: 19-Jan-2023

Overview

prEN 17733 - "Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling and sample preparation" (CEN draft) specifies references to standardized methods for taking samples of soil improvers and growing media and for preparing those samples for subsequent quality and quantity testing. The document applies to solid and liquid products (including pre‑shaped growing media) and to blends where soil improvers and/or growing media are the component with the highest percentage by mass, volume or dry mass. It is a CEN technical update that will supersede CEN/TS 17733:2022 and references related CEN/ISO documents.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and applicability
  • Defines when this standard applies to single products and to fertilizing product blends (rules for which standard to use if components are mixed in different proportions).
  • Notes user choice when components are present in equal quantities.
• Sampling references
  • Requires sampling to follow EN 12579:2024 for representative sampling of solid and liquid soil improvers and growing media.
  • Specifies principles to ensure adequate sample quantity and representativity.
  • For microbiological testing, five-segment samples shall be taken as described in EN 12579:2024.
• Sample preparation references
  • Chemical and physical tests, dry matter, moisture content and laboratory bulk density: follow prEN 13040-1:2025.
  • Microbiological examinations: follow prEN 13040-2:2025.
• Terminology
  • Uses terms defined in prEN 17732:2025 to ensure consistent definitions across standards.
• Regulatory linkage
  • Aligned with product categories and requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 for EU fertilizing products.

Practical applications / Who should use it

• Quality control and R&D laboratories preparing samples for:
  • Chemical analysis (nutrients, contaminants)
  • Physical tests (bulk density, particle size)
  • Microbiological assays (pathogens, microbial activity)
• Manufacturers and formulators of soil improvers, growing media and blended fertilizing products seeking compliance and consistent testing practices.
• Certification bodies, conformity assessors and regulators assessing product claims and compliance with EU fertilizing product rules.
• Distributors and testing service providers ensuring representative sampling for lot acceptance, dispute resolution, or product development.

Related standards

• EN 12579:2024 - Sampling of soil improvers and growing media (normative reference)
• prEN 13040-1:2025 - Sample preparation for chemical/physical tests, dry matter, moisture, bulk density
• prEN 13040-2:2025 - Sample preparation for microbiological examination
• prEN 17732:2025 - Terminology for soil improvers and growing media
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 - EU fertilizing product requirements

Keywords: soil improvers, growing media, sampling, sample preparation, microbiological examination, EN 12579, prEN 13040, EU fertilizing products, quality control.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2026
Izboljševalci tal in rastni substrati - Metode za vzorčenje in pripravo vzorcev
Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling and sample preparation
Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate - Probenahme
Amendements organiques et supports de culture - Echantillonnage
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 17733
ICS:
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
December 2025
ICS 65.080 Will supersede CEN/TS 17733:2022
English Version
Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling
and sample preparation
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Méthodes Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate -
d'échantillonnage et de préparation de l'échantillon Methoden für Probenahme und Probenvorbereitung
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 223.
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
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 17733:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Sampling and sample preparation . 5
Bibliography . 7

European foreword
This document (prEN 17733:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 223 “Soil
improvers and growing media”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This document will supersede CEN/TS 17733:2022.
CEN/TS 17733:2022:
— The title has been revised;
— Redundant information has been removed from the Introduction;
— An applicability statement has been included in the Scope;
— Clause 2, Normative references, has been updated;
— The ISO and IEC terminology databases have been removed from Clause 3, Terms and definitions;
— Requirements for sampling and sample preparation
...