# Field Crops, Fertilization and Plant Protection

Field crops and agricultural activities, such as pest management and fertilization, are often regulated in directives and method books, rather than in ISO standards. Specific code lists are given in the Appendix (Chapter 4.1).

Overview of existing standards

# Crop varieties

The Federal Plant Variety Office (BSA) provides descriptive variety lists e.g. for cereals, maize, oil and fiber plants [1]. The BSA frequently sends variety names and codes to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).

# Directive for agricultural value analyses and variety trials

In Germany several professional, rating methods (“Boniturmethoden”) exist. Beside rating (“Bonitur”) different field crops it additionally provides recommendations on sowing dates, amounts and periods and densities, plant maintenance, fertilization, and soil and plant sampling for lab analyses. The State Offices of Germany regularly published recommendations for numerous agricultural products, e.g. maize, pasture grass and soy beans [2].

# EU Regulation No. 2003/2003

# (European Parliament and of the Council relating to fertilizers)

The regulation treats all issues which are connected with fertilizers. In Annex IV numerous methods of samplings and laboratory analysis of fertilizers are given [3].

# European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO)

The EPPO provides numerous free available code lists and standards and guidelines on pest risk, plant protection products, risk assessment and diagnostic.

# VDLUFA Method Books, manure and fertilizing regulations

Similar to soil management, crops, crop protection and fertilizing are predominantly regulated by national directives. While the legal fertilizing regulation in Germany [4] only treats nitrogen and phosphorus, VDLUFA Method Books volumes II.1 [5] and II.2 [6] deal with all other relevant soil nutrients.

# Cross-compliance

# COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 2009 [7]

Cross-compliance mechanisms link payments to farmers with requirements on plant, animal and soil protection.

# Water Framework Directive

# COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 2000 [8]

The directive addresses, beside others, the water pollution by nitrates from agriculture, and is thus a legal framework for agricultural activities on crop protection and fertilization.

# Plant Protection Act, Germany

It regulates the protection of field crops and agricultural products against harmful organisms and the prevention of health damages for plants, animals, natural systems and humans from the agriculture [9].

Further standards

• For the investigation of the yield structure the determination of the mass of 1000 grains is a common approach, which is defined in EN ISO 520:2010.
• In the field of seed testing, standard procedures are published by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)
• VDI 3957-1:2014 describes biomonitoring as a method to determine and assess air pollutants effects on plants.
• The determination mass per hectoliter (bulk density or “Schüttdichte”) of grain is described in ISO 7971-1ff series.
• DIN 19707:2004 is used to determine fertilizing requirements and defines target values for different crops and soil texture types.
• The determination of components of grain which does not belong to the good cultivated grain (=”Besatz”) is regulated in DIN EN 15587:2014.
• The DIN 18916:2016-06 includes activities on agricultural plant and soil works including mulch (which inhibits evapotranspiration) and measures against wildlife.

# Conflicts and solutions

Binding European regulations on seed saving and reproduction. European seed certification agencies (ESCAA) works on the harmonization between national certifications and EU legislation.