FprEN 17777
(Main)Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers - Determination of specific elements
- Abstract
This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers:
Determination of the total phosphorus content;
Determination of the total potassium content;
Determination of the total calcium content;
Determination of the total magnesium content;
Determination of the total sodium content;
Determination of the total sulphur content;
Determination of the inorganic arsenic content;
Determination of the cadmium content;
Determination of the total chromium content;
Determination of the total mercury content;
Determination of the total nickel content;
Determination of the total lead content;
Determination of the total copper content;
Determination of the total zinc content;
Determination of the water-soluble calcium content;
Determination of the water-soluble magnesium content;
Determination of the water-soluble sodium content;
Determination of the water-soluble sulphur content.
This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organo-mineral fertilizers:
Determination of the water-soluble phosphorus content;
Determination of the water-soluble potassium content;
Determination of the neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus content
Determination of the formic acid soluble phosphorus content;
Determination of the total boron content;
Determination of the total cobalt content;
Determination of the total iron content
Determination of the total manganese content
Determination of the total molybdenum content;
Determination of the water-soluble boron content;
Determination of the water-soluble cobalt content;
Determination of the water-soluble copper content;
Determination of the water-soluble iron content;
Determination of the water-soluble manganese content;
Determination of the water-soluble molybdenum content;
Determination of the water-soluble zinc content.
The scope of the standards referenced in this document specifies in which cases the method is also applicable to blends.
- Status
- Not Published
- Publication Date
- 17-Feb-2027
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 260 - Fertilizers and liming materials
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 260/WG 8 - Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers
- Current Stage
- 4599 - Dispatch of FV draft to CMC - Finalization for Vote
- Start Date
- 27-Aug-2026
- Due Date
- 14-Mar-2027
- Completion Date
- 27-Aug-2026
FprEN 17777 is a draft European Standard from CEN for organic and organo-mineral fertilizers. It specifies which referenced analytical methods are used to determine specific elements, so laboratories, manufacturers, and conformity assessors can use the same test routes for product control and regulatory checking.
What does FprEN 17777 specify?
FprEN 17777 applies to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers, and it also covers some determinations in organo-mineral fertilizers specifically. The document is a method-reference standard: it points to the analytical standards to use rather than giving the full laboratory procedures itself.
Clause 1 gives the scope, Clause 2 lists the normative references, Clause 3 sets the vocabulary basis, Clause 4 addresses sampling and sample preparation, and Clause 5 lists the determinations for 34 specific elements or element forms. The scope of the referenced standards also states when a method can apply to fertilizing product blends.
| Annex | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Annex ZA | Relationship between this European Standard and the essential requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 |
What are the key requirements of FprEN 17777?
FprEN 17777 works by linking each element to a named test route. In practice, users select the clause for the element they need, then follow the cited method standard.
- Clause 3 says the terms and definitions from prEN 12944-1:2026 and prEN 12944-2:2026 apply. That keeps product descriptions and test reporting aligned with the fertilizer vocabulary used across the series.
- Clause 4 states that sampling and sample preparation are crucial, but they are not built into this document. Where a cited analytical method includes its own preparation steps, those steps govern how the sample is handled before measurement.
- Clause 5 is the technical core and contains 34 subclauses. It groups determinations by total content, water-soluble content, phosphorus extracted by specific reagents, and selected trace elements.
- The total-content determinations in Clause 5 route users to digestion-based or instrumental methods, including aqua regia digestion and related measurement standards. This matters because the analyst must choose the correct preparation route before any element result can be reported.
- Dedicated clauses cover inorganic arsenic and mercury with specific standards. Those elements need separate analytical treatment, so they are not handled as generic total-element determinations.
- Water-soluble determinations use the water extraction route for many nutrients, while phosphorus soluble in neutral ammonium citrate or formic acid uses dedicated extraction standards. In practice, this means the solubility definition depends on the fertilizer type and the reporting basis.
- Annex ZA connects selected clauses to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009. For users working on EU fertilizing products, this is the part that supports conformity assessment against the regulation.
What terms does FprEN 17777 define?
FprEN 17777 uses the vocabulary of prEN 12944-1:2026 and prEN 12944-2:2026, and several technical terms are central to reading it.
- PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) are the product function categories used in Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 for organic and organo-mineral fertilizers.
- Aqua regia is the digestion medium used to bring elements into solution before determination.
- ICP-AES means inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, a measurement technique used after digestion or extraction.
- Neutral ammonium citrate is the extracting solution used for phosphorus soluble under that condition.
- Formic acid is the extracting reagent used here for a separate phosphorus-solubility route.
Who uses FprEN 17777?
FprEN 17777 is used by testing laboratories, fertilizer manufacturers, and conformity assessment bodies that need a consistent way to measure element content. It is also relevant to quality managers and technical buyers who specify test methods in product specifications, supply contracts, or verification plans.
The document is relevant to organic fertilizers, organo-mineral fertilizers, and the fertilizing product blends covered by the referenced method scopes. That makes it useful wherever reported element content must be comparable across suppliers or checked against regulatory requirements.
What changed in FprEN 17777 from the previous edition?
FprEN 17777 supersedes CEN/TS 17777:2022. Compared with the previous edition, it has been adopted as a European Standard, includes Annex ZA, and updates Clause 1 to clarify fertilizing product blends.
Which standards are used with FprEN 17777?
| Reference | Contribution |
|---|---|
| prEN 12944-1:2026 | General fertilizer vocabulary |
| prEN 12944-2:2026 | Terms relating to fertilizers |
| prEN 17766:2025 | Extraction by water for subsequent determination of elements |
| prEN 17767:2026 | Extraction of phosphorus by formic acid |
| prEN 17768:2026 | Digestion by aqua regia for subsequent determination of elements |
| prEN 17769:2026 | Determination of the mercury content |
| prEN 17770:2026 | Determination of total content of specific elements by ICP-AES after digestion by aqua regia |
| prEN 17774:2026 | Determination of the content of specific elements by ICP-AES after extraction by water and weak solvents |
| prEN 17775:2026 | Determination of the inorganic arsenic |
| prEN 17779:2026 | Extraction of phosphorus soluble in a neutral ammonium citrate solution |
What does the FprEN 17777 document contain?
FprEN 17777 is mainly a roadmap to the analytical methods used for specific elements in fertilizer testing. Clause 5 lists the determination routes for total, water-soluble, and selectively extracted elements, and Annex ZA adds the correspondence table to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009.
It does not reproduce the laboratory methods themselves. Instead, it tells the reader which companion standard to use for each element and preparation route, which is what makes it practical for method selection, test planning, and conformity work.
Relations
- Revises
CEN/TS 17777:2022 - Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers - Determination of specific elements - Effective Date
- 11-Jun-2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
FprEN 17777 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers - Determination of specific elements". This standard covers: This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers: Determination of the total phosphorus content; Determination of the total potassium content; Determination of the total calcium content; Determination of the total magnesium content; Determination of the total sodium content; Determination of the total sulphur content; Determination of the inorganic arsenic content; Determination of the cadmium content; Determination of the total chromium content; Determination of the total mercury content; Determination of the total nickel content; Determination of the total lead content; Determination of the total copper content; Determination of the total zinc content; Determination of the water-soluble calcium content; Determination of the water-soluble magnesium content; Determination of the water-soluble sodium content; Determination of the water-soluble sulphur content. This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organo-mineral fertilizers: Determination of the water-soluble phosphorus content; Determination of the water-soluble potassium content; Determination of the neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus content Determination of the formic acid soluble phosphorus content; Determination of the total boron content; Determination of the total cobalt content; Determination of the total iron content Determination of the total manganese content Determination of the total molybdenum content; Determination of the water-soluble boron content; Determination of the water-soluble cobalt content; Determination of the water-soluble copper content; Determination of the water-soluble iron content; Determination of the water-soluble manganese content; Determination of the water-soluble molybdenum content; Determination of the water-soluble zinc content. The scope of the standards referenced in this document specifies in which cases the method is also applicable to blends.
This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers: Determination of the total phosphorus content; Determination of the total potassium content; Determination of the total calcium content; Determination of the total magnesium content; Determination of the total sodium content; Determination of the total sulphur content; Determination of the inorganic arsenic content; Determination of the cadmium content; Determination of the total chromium content; Determination of the total mercury content; Determination of the total nickel content; Determination of the total lead content; Determination of the total copper content; Determination of the total zinc content; Determination of the water-soluble calcium content; Determination of the water-soluble magnesium content; Determination of the water-soluble sodium content; Determination of the water-soluble sulphur content. This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organo-mineral fertilizers: Determination of the water-soluble phosphorus content; Determination of the water-soluble potassium content; Determination of the neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus content Determination of the formic acid soluble phosphorus content; Determination of the total boron content; Determination of the total cobalt content; Determination of the total iron content Determination of the total manganese content Determination of the total molybdenum content; Determination of the water-soluble boron content; Determination of the water-soluble cobalt content; Determination of the water-soluble copper content; Determination of the water-soluble iron content; Determination of the water-soluble manganese content; Determination of the water-soluble molybdenum content; Determination of the water-soluble zinc content. The scope of the standards referenced in this document specifies in which cases the method is also applicable to blends.
FprEN 17777 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 65.080 - Fertilizers. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
FprEN 17777 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to CEN/TS 17777:2022. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
FprEN 17777 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2019/1009; Standardization Mandates: M/564, M/564 AMD 1, M/564 AMD 2. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
FprEN 17777 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-marec-2026
Organska in organsko-mineralna gnojila - Določanje specifičnih elementov
Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers - Determination of specific elements
Organische und organisch-mineralische Düngemittel - Bestimmung spezifischer
Elemente
Engrais organiques et organo-minéraux - Dosage des éléments spécifiques
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 17777
ICS:
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 17777
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
February 2026
ICS 65.080 Will supersede CEN/TS 17777:2022
English Version
Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers - Determination of
specific elements
Engrais organiques et organo-minéraux - Dosage des Organische und organisch-mineralische Düngemittel -
éléments spécifiques Bestimmung spezifischer Elemente
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 17777:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
prEN 17777:2026 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms and definitions . 8
4 Sampling and sample preparation . 8
5 Determination of specific elements . 8
5.1 Total phosphorus content. 8
5.2 Total potassium content . 8
5.3 Total calcium content . 8
5.4 Total magnesium content . 8
5.5 Total sodium content . 8
5.6 Total sulphur content . 8
5.7 Inorganic arsenic content . 8
5.8 Cadmium content . 8
5.9 Total chromium content . 9
5.10 Total mercury content . 9
5.11 Total nickel content . 9
5.12 Total lead content . 9
5.13 Total copper content . 9
5.14 Total zinc content . 9
5.15 Water-soluble calcium content . 9
5.16 Water-soluble magnesium content . 9
5.17 Water-soluble sodium content . 9
5.18 Water-soluble sulphur content . 9
5.19 Water-soluble phosphorus content . 9
5.20 Water-soluble potassium content . 9
5.21 Neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus content . 9
5.22 Formic acid soluble phosphorus content . 10
5.23 Total boron content . 10
5.24 Total cobalt content . 10
5.25 Total iron content . 10
5.26 Total manganese content . 10
5.27 Total molybdenum content . 10
5.28 Water-soluble boron content . 10
5.29 Water-soluble cobalt content . 10
5.30 Water-soluble copper content . 10
5.31 Water-soluble iron content . 10
5.32 Water-soluble manganese content . 10
5.33 Water-soluble molybdenum content . 10
5.34 Water-soluble zinc content . 10
prEN 17777:2026 (E)
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between 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 . 11
Bibliography . 18
prEN 17777:2026 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 17777:2026) 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 CEN/TS 17777:2022.
Compared to the previous edition, prEN 17777:2026 includes the following significant technical changes:
— the CEN Technical Specification has been adopted as a European Standard including the addition of
Annex ZA;
— Scope (Clause 1) updated including a clarification on fertilizing product blends.
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.
prEN 17777:2026 (E)
Introduction
Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1] 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). Organic and organo-mineral have been classified as PFC 1 (A) and PFC 1 (B)
In order to measure the compliance with the related requirements of the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1]
relevant test methods have to be defined in harmonized standards. In this document the normative
references of the test methods to be used for organic and organo-mineral fertilizers are defined in order
to measure the compliance with the related requirement in the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1].
prEN 17777:2026 (E)
1 Scope
This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific
elements in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers:
— determination of the total phosphorus content;
— determination of the total potassium content;
— determination of the total calcium content;
— determination of the total magnesium content;
— determination of the total sodium content;
— determination of the total sulphur content;
— determination of the inorganic arsenic content;
— determination of the cadmium content;
— determination of the total chromium content;
— determination of the total mercury content;
— determination of the total nickel content;
— determination of the total lead content;
— determination of the total copper content;
— determination of the total zinc content;
— determination of the water-soluble calcium content;
— determination of the water-soluble magnesium content;
— determination of the water-soluble sodium content;
— determination of the water-soluble sulphur content.
This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific
elements in organo-mineral fertilizers:
— determination of the water-soluble phosphorus content;
— determination of the water-soluble potassium content;
— determination of the neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus content;
— determination of the formic acid soluble phosphorus content;
— determination of the total boron content;
— determination of the total cobalt content;
prEN 17777:2026 (E)
— determination of the total iron content;
— determination of the total manganese content;
— determination of the total molybdenum content;
— determination of the water-soluble boron content;
— determination of the water-soluble cobalt content;
— determination of the water-soluble copper content;
— determination of the water-soluble iron content;
— determination of the water-soluble manganese content;
— determination of the water-soluble molybdenum content;
— determination of the water-soluble zinc content.
The scope of the standards referenced in this document specifies in which cases the method is also
applicable to fertilizing product blends.
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.
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
prEN 17766:2025, Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers — Extraction by water for subsequent
determination of elements
prEN 17767:2026, Organo-mineral fertilizers — Extraction of phosphorus by formic acid
prEN 17768:2026, Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers — Digestion by aqua regia for subsequent
determination of elements
prEN 17769:2026, Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers — Determination of the mercury content
prEN 17770:2026, Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers — Determination of total content of specific
elements by ICP-AES after digestion by aqua regia
prEN 17774:2026, Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers — Determination of the content of specific
elements by ICP-AES after extraction by water and weak solvents
prEN 17775:2026, Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers — Determination of the inorganic arsenic
content
prEN 17779:2026, Organo-mineral fertilizers — Extraction of phosphorus soluble in a neutral ammonium
citrate solution
prEN 17777:2026 (E)
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
Sampling an
...