prEN 17754

Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of specific micronutrients

This document specifies references to methods for the determination of the content of the following specific micronutrients in inorganic fertilizers:
—   the total boron content;
—   the total cobalt content;
—   the total copper and zinc content;
—   the total iron content;
—   the total manganese content;
—   total molybdenum content;
—   the water-soluble boron content;
—   the water-soluble cobalt content;
—   the water-soluble copper content;
—   the water-soluble iron content;
—   the water-soluble manganese content;
—   the water-soluble molybdenum content;
—   the water-soluble zinc content;
—   the sum of declared micronutrients in compound micronutrient fertilizers.
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.
An overview of the references to methods for the determination of the specific micronutrients is given in Table 1.

Anorganische Düngemittel - Bestimmung spezifischer Spurennährstoffe

Dieses Dokument legt Verweisungen auf Verfahren zur Bestimmung der folgenden spezifischen in anorganischen Düngemitteln enthaltenen Spurennährstoffe fest:
   Gesamtgehalt an Bor;
   Gesamtgehalt an Kobalt;
   Gesamtgehalt an Kupfer und Zink;
   Gesamtgehalt an Eisen;
   Gesamtgehalt an Mangan;
   Gesamtgehalt an Molybdän;
   Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Bor;
   Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Kobalt;
   Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Kupfer;
   Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Eisen;
   Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Mangan;
   Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Molybdän;
   Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Zink;
   Summe der deklarierten Spurennährstoffe in Mehrnährstoff-Düngermitteln.
Dieses Dokument ist anwendbar auf Düngeproduktmischungen, bei denen eine Mischung aus mindestens zwei der folgenden Komponenten besteht: Düngemittel, Kalkdünger, Bodenverbesserungsmittel, Kultursubstrate, Hemmstoffe und Pflanzen-Biostimulanzien, und wenn die Kategorie „anorganische Düngemittel“ den höchsten Prozentsatz in der Mischung bezüglich Masse oder Volumen, oder im Falle von flüssigen Formen bezüglich Trockenmasse ausmacht. Wenn das anorganische Düngemittel nicht den höchsten Prozentsatz in der Mischung ausmacht, gilt die Europäische Norm für den höchsten Prozentsatz der Mischung. Im Falle, dass die Düngeproduktmischung aus Komponenten gleicher Menge besteht, entscheidet der Anwender, welche Norm angewendet wird. Variationen in analytischen Verfahren für Düngeproduktmischungen können zu unterschiedlichen Ergebnissen führen, da einige Komponenten oder Matrixwechselwirkungen das Ergebnis beeinflussen können. Validierungen haben gezeigt, dass die entwickelten Standardverfahren robust und zuverlässig über unterschiedliche Produktzusammensetzungen hinweg sind. Jedoch sind mögliche Interferenzen und unerwartete Ergebnisse bei der Analyse von Düngeproduktmischungen möglich.
Ein Überblick über die Verweisungen auf Verfahren zur Bestimmung der spezifischen Spurennährstoffe wird in Tabelle 1 gegeben.

Engrais inorganiques - Détermination des oligo-éléments spécifiques

Le présent document spécifie les références des méthodes de détermination de la teneur en oligo-éléments spécifiques suivants dans les engrais inorganiques :
—   la teneur en bore total ;
—   la teneur en cobalt total ;
—   la teneur en cuivre et en zinc total ;
—   la teneur en fer total ;
—   la teneur en manganèse total ;
—   la teneur en molybdène total ;
—   la teneur en bore soluble dans l’eau ;
—   la teneur en cobalt soluble dans l’eau ;
—   la teneur en cuivre soluble dans l’eau ;
—   la teneur en fer soluble dans l’eau ;
—   la teneur en manganèse soluble dans l’eau ;
—   la teneur en molybdène soluble dans l’eau ;
—   la teneur en zinc soluble dans l’eau ;
—   la somme des oligo-éléments déclarés dans les engrais composés à oligo-éléments.
Le présent document est applicable aux mélanges de fertilisants constitués d’au moins deux des composants suivants : engrais, amendements minéraux basiques, amendements du sol, supports de culture, inhibiteurs, biostimulants des végétaux et dans lesquels la catégorie « engrais inorganiques » représente le pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange en masse ou en volume, ou dans le cas d’un liquide, en masse sèche. Si les engrais inorganiques ne représentent pas le pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange, la Norme européenne relative au composant représentant le pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange s’applique. Dans le cas où le mélange de fertilisants est constitué de composants en quantités égales, l’utilisateur décide quelle norme appliquer. Les variations dans les méthodes d’analyse des mélanges de fertilisants peuvent conduire à des résultats différents, car certaines interactions de composants ou de la matrice peuvent affecter le résultat. Les procédures de validation ont montré que les méthodes normalisées développées sont robustes et fiables pour diverses compositions de produits, mais que des interférences éventuelles et des résultats inattendus lors de l’analyse des mélanges de fertilisants sont possibles.
Un aperçu des références aux méthodes permettant de déterminer les oligo-éléments spécifiques est donné dans le Tableau 1.

Anorganska gnojila - Določanje specifičnih mikrohranil

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 28-Feb-2028
• ICS: 65.080 - Fertilizers
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 260 - Fertilizers and liming materials
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 260/WG 7 - Chemical analysis
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 12-Feb-2026
• Due Date: 13-Oct-2026
• Completion Date: 12-Feb-2026
• Directive: Not Harmonized2019/1009 - 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)
• Mandate: M/564 - Fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009
• 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 17754:2026 - Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of specific micronutrients

Relations

• Revises: CEN/TS 17754:2022 - Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of specific micronutrients
• Effective Date: 03-Jul-2024

Overview

prEN 17754: Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of specific micronutrients is a proposed European Standard prepared by CEN/TC 260, addressing standardized methods for measuring specific micronutrient contents in inorganic fertilizers. The standard sets out references to validated test methods for both total and water-soluble forms of key micronutrients such as boron, cobalt, copper, zinc, iron, manganese, and molybdenum. These methods support compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 on fertilizing products, ensuring quality and safety throughout the supply chain.

The standard is applicable not only to single fertilizers but also to fertilizing product blends where inorganic fertilizers represent the highest percentage by mass or volume. Consistent micronutrient analysis in fertilizers underpins sustainable agriculture, regulatory compliance, and fair market practices.

Key Topics

• Scope of Determination

  • Procedures for total and water-soluble content of:
    • Boron (B)
    • Cobalt (Co)
    • Copper (Cu)
    • Zinc (Zn)
    • Iron (Fe)
    • Manganese (Mn)
    • Molybdenum (Mo)
  • Methods for calculating the sum of declared micronutrients in compounds/mixed fertilizer products

• Applicable Product Categories

  • Inorganic fertilizers containing the above micronutrients
  • Blends featuring fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, and plant biostimulants where inorganic fertilizer is predominant

• Importance of Accurate Measurement

  • Ensures compliance with EU regulatory requirements
  • Supports product labeling and marketing claims
  • Reduces risk of plant toxicity or deficiency

• Standardized Analytical Methods

  • Reference to harmonized European standards for extraction, determination, and sample preparation, e.g. EN 1482-2, EN 16962, EN 16964, EN 16963, EN 16965, EN 17041, EN 17042, EN 17043

Applications

prEN 17754 is highly relevant for stakeholders in the fertilizer industry and agricultural sector:

• Fertilizer Manufacturers:

  • Utilize specified methods to demonstrate product compliance for market access within the EU
  • Document micronutrient levels in both new formulations and established products

• Quality Control Laboratories:

  • Conduct routine analysis using harmonized procedures, ensuring consistent results across different sample types and matrices
  • Determine both bulk and blend compositions, including challenging matrices with potential interferences

• Regulators and Inspectors:

  • Verify conformity of fertilizing products with EU Regulation (EU) 2019/1009
  • Facilitate enforcement of labeling, safety, and quality requirements

• Blending and Distribution Chains:

  • Accurately label blending products, especially when more than one fertilizer component is present

• Agricultural Advisors and Farmers:

  • Inform on fertilizer selection and application, ensuring adequate supply of essential micronutrients for crop health

Related Standards

• EN 1482-2:2024: Sampling and sample preparation methods for fertilizers, liming materials, and inhibitors
• EN 16964:2018: Extraction of total micronutrients in fertilizers using aqua regia
• EN 16962:2018: Extraction of water-soluble micronutrients and removal of organic compounds
• EN 16963:2018: Determination of micronutrients via ICP-AES
• EN 16965:2018: Determination of micronutrients via FAAS
• EN 17041:2018 / EN 17042:2018 / EN 17043:2018: Various methods for boron and molybdenum analysis based on concentration
• prEN 17753:2026: Determination of specific contaminants in inorganic fertilizers
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1009: Lays down safety and quality requirements for EU fertilizing products

By referencing established analytical protocols, prEN 17754 supports robust quality assurance, regulatory alignment, and transparent market communication for inorganic fertilizer products across Europe.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-april-2026
Anorganska gnojila - Določanje specifičnih mikrohranil
Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of specific micronutrients
Anorganische Düngemittel - Bestimmung spezifischer Spurennährstoffe
Engrais inorganiques - Détermination des oligo-éléments spécifiques
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 17754
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
February 2026
ICS 65.080 Will supersede CEN/TS 17754:2022
English Version
Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of specific
micronutrients
Engrais inorganiques - Détermination des oligo- Anorganische Düngemittel - Bestimmung spezifischer
éléments spécifiques Spurennährstoffe
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 17754:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Sampling and sample preparation . 6
4.1 Sampling . 6
4.2 Sample preparation . 6
5 Extraction of specific micronutrients . 7
5.1 Total boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc . 7
5.2 Water-soluble forms of boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc . 7
6 Determination of specific micronutrients . 7
6.1 Boron content . 7
6.2 Cobalt, iron, manganese, copper and zinc content . 7
6.3 Molybdenum content . 7
7 Sum of declared micronutrients . 8
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship of this European Standard and the essential requirements of
Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 making available on the market of EU fertilising products
aimed to be covered . 9
Bibliography . 17

European foreword
This document (prEN 17754:2026) 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 CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede CEN/TS 17754:2022.
CEN/TS 17758:2022:
a) the CEN Technical Specification has been adopted as a European Standard including the addition of
Annex ZA;
b) Scope (Clause 1) updated;
c) Normative references (Clause 2) updated;
d) Bibliography updated.
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.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this
document.
Introduction
Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [2] lays down the rules on the making available on the market of EU
fertilizing products and the specific safety and quality requirements for the defined product function
categories (PFCs). Inorganic fertilizers have been classified into PFC 1(C).
The specific safety and quality requirements in relation to the following specific micronutrients are
defined in this document as well as normative references of the test methods to be used in order to
measure the compliance with the related requirement in the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [2].

1 Scope
This document specifies references to methods for the determination of the content of the following
specific micronutrients in inorganic fertilizers:
— the total boron content;
— the total cobalt content;
— the total copper and zinc content;
— the total iron content;
— the total manganese content;
— total molybdenum content;
— the water-soluble boron content;
— the water-soluble cobalt content;
— the water-soluble copper content;
— the water-soluble iron content;
— the water-soluble manganese content;
— the water-soluble molybdenum content;
— the water-soluble zinc content;
— the sum of declared micronutrients in compound micronutrient fertilizers.
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.
An overview of the references to methods for the determination of the specific micronutrients is given in
Table 1.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 1482-2:2024, Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors — Sampling and sample preparation — Part
2: General sample preparation provisions
prEN 12944-1:2026, Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors — Vocabulary — Part 1: General terms
prEN 12944-2:2026, Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors — Vocabulary — Part 2: Terms relating to
fertilizers
EN 16962:2018, Fertilizers — Extraction of water soluble micro-nutrients in fertilizers and removal of
organic compounds from fertilizer extracts
EN 16963:2018, Fertilizers — Determination of boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and
zinc using ICP-AES
EN 16964:2018, Fertilizers — Extraction of total micro-nutrients in fertilizers using aqua regia
EN 16965:2018, Fertilizers — Determination of cobalt, copper, iron, manganese and zinc using flame
atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS)
EN 17041:2018, Fertilizers — Determination of boron in concentrations ≤ 10 % using spectrometry with
azomethine-H
EN 17042:2018, Fertilizers — Determination of boron in concentrations > 10 % using acidimetric titration
EN 17043:2018, Fertilizers — Determination of molybdenum in concentrations ≤ 10 % using spectrometry
of a complex with ammonium thiocyanate
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in prEN 12944-1:2026 and
prEN 12944-2:2026 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Sampling and sample preparation
4.1 Sampling
Sampling is not part of the method specified in this document. Recommended sampling methods are
given in EN 1482-1 [3] and EN 1482-3 [4].
It is important that the laboratory receives a sample that is representative of both the product under
consideration and the given analysis. The sample should not have been damaged or changed during
transport or storage.
4.2 Sample preparation
Sample preparation shall be carried out in accordance with EN 1482-2:2024.
5 Extraction of specific micronutrients
5.1 Total boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc
For the extraction of total boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc EN 16964:2018
shall be used. EN 16964:2018 specifies a method for the extraction of total boron, cobalt, copper, iron,
manganese, molybdenum and zinc with aqua regia from inorganic fertilizers containing one or more
micronutrients.
5.2 Water-soluble forms of boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and
zinc
For the extraction of water-soluble forms of boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and
zinc EN 16962:2018 shall be used. EN 16962:2018 specifies a method for the extraction of water-soluble
forms of boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc from inorganic fertilizers
containing one or more micronutrients and the procedure for removal of organic compounds from the
water extracts.
6 Determination of specific micronutrients
6.1 Boron content
For the determination of the total and the water-soluble boron content in inorganic fertilizers containing
more than 10 % boron EN 17042:2018 shall be used.
For the determination of the total and the water-soluble boron content in inorganic fertilizers containing
less than or equal to 10 % boron EN 17041:2018 shall be used. The method is not suitable for fertilizers
with Fe concentrations more than twenty times higher than the concentration of boron.
Depending on availability of the technique, EN 16963:2018 may also be used. EN 16963:2018 specifies a
method for the determination of total and water-soluble boron in fertilizer extracts using inductively
coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).
6.2 Cobalt, iron, manganese, copper and zinc content
For the determination of the total and the water-soluble cobalt, iron, manganese, copper and zinc content
in fertilizer extracts EN 16963:2018 or EN 16965:2018 shall be used, depending on availability of the
technique
...