CEN/TR 17219:2018

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2018
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Plastics - Biodegradable thermoplastic mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture -
Guide for the quantification of alteration of films
Kunststoffe - Biologisch abbaubare thermoplastische Mulchfolien für den Einsatz in
Landwirtschaft und Gartenbau - Leitfaden für die Quantifizierung der Veränderung von
Folien
Plastiques - Films de paillage thermoplastiques biodégradables pour utilisation en
agriculture et horticulture - Guide pour la quantification de l'altération des films
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TR 17219:2018
ICS:
65.060.01 Kmetijski stroji in oprema na Agricultural machines and
splošno equipment in general
83.140.10 Filmi in folije Films and sheets
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

CEN/TR 17219
TECHNICAL REPORT
RAPPORT TECHNIQUE
May 2018
TECHNISCHER BERICHT
ICS 83.140.10
English Version
Plastics - Biodegradable thermoplastic mulch films for use
in agriculture and horticulture - Guide for the
quantification of alteration of films
Plastiques - Films de paillage thermoplastiques Kunststoffe - Biologisch abbaubare thermoplastische
biodégradables pour utilisation en agriculture et Mulchfolien für den Einsatz in Landwirtschaft und
horticulture - Guide pour la quantification de Gartenbau - Leitfaden für die Quantifizierung der
l'altération des films Veränderung von Folien

This Technical Report was approved by CEN on 12 February 2018. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC
249.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2018 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TR 17219:2018 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 Principle . 5
5 Sampling method . 6
6 Apparatus . 8
7 Sampling . 8
7.1 Sampling zone . 8
7.2 Number of samples . 8
7.3 Definitions of the area units for sampling . 9
8 Implementation of visual and photographic survey . 11
8.1 Visual survey . 11
8.2 Photographic survey . 11
9 Analysis of the surveys and expression of results . 12
9.1 General . 12
9.2 Estimate of the prevalence of alterations . 12
9.3 Estimate of the spread of the alteration from visual assessment . 12
9.4 Estimate of the spread of the alteration from photographic assessment . 12
9.5 Results . 13
9.6 Scheme of quantification of the film alteration . 13
Bibliography . 14
European foreword
This document (CEN/TR 17219:2018) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 249 “Plastics”,
the secretariat of which is held by NBN.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Introduction
Biodegradable mulch films have become a common practice in agriculture. Their characteristics in terms of
environmental impact (biodegradation in soil and ecotoxicity) have been indicated in EN 17033,
Biodegradable mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture – Requirements and test methods.
In order to complete the characterization of these materials, this technical report gives information on a
procedure for sampling and measuring the occurrence of a damage on the biodegradable mulch film when in
use in the field [1].
It is recommended to collect the agronomic and weather information of the mulched area. The information
collected does not alter the procedure described.
This document may be used to assess the surface integrity of the biodegradable thermoplastic mulch film
during its service life.
1 Scope
This document gives guidance for the quantification of alteration of biodegradable thermoplastic mulch films
for use in agriculture and horticulture.
It can be used for biodegradable thermoplastic mulch films in conformity with EN 17033.
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 17033, Plastics — Biodegradable thermoplastic mulch films for use in agriculture and horticulture —
Requirements and test methods
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 17033 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
alteration
alteration of the film in anyway either confined to a well-defined and attributed to a specific cause or
distributed on the whole surface of the film
Note 1 to entry: Alterations not considered due to the characteristics of the material, are all those injuries caused by
animals or particularly violent weather events (storms, hail, wind, etc.) or mechanical damage accidentally caused by
objects, equipment improperly used or man-made (trampling, damages done by tools, other similar).
3.2
damage
alteration that affects more than 10 % of the surface of the sampled areas of a mulch film
3.3
row
succession of plants placed at a uniform and defined distance
4 Principle
The alteration incurred by a biodegradable mulching film is represented by the interruption of the
continuity of the surface and the consequent exposure of the underlying soil.
Applying the provisions of agrarian evaluation [2], the evaluation of the alteration of a biodegradable
mulching film is comparable to the valuation of the damage caused by hail, or by pathogenic foliaceous
agents. Therefore, it is possible to operate by performing visual examinations and photographic surveys by
using the analytical procedure described in this document.
The quantification of the alteration is performed through visual examinations and photographic surveys if
necessary. The number of zones to be sampled might be determined following national regulations, if any
[3].
The visual examination is a tool for quick evaluations that helps determine the type of alteration (systematic
and widespread or localized) and, if systematic and widespread, its percentage of incidence on the surfaces
analysed.
The photographic survey, once defined that the alteration is systematic and widespread through the visual
examination, allow confirming, in the areas of sampling the measurement of the percentage of film missing.
5 Sampling method
The sampling of the area to be surveyed shall be performed in accordance with the rules of block
randomization design scheme.
The block randomization scheme is the most widely applied scheme in agronomical tests and consists in
dividing the area under observation in sub-areas. This allows to have the maximum homogeneity among the
sub-areas and at the same time are differentiated as possible between them. The block randomization
scheme offers the possibility to control the effects of heterogeneity of the mulching film, improving the
power of the observation and allows eliminating the experimental error variability between the blocks.
Concerning the arrangement and the shape of the blocks, in the case of detection of the alteration of a
mulching film placed on a soil, it is assumed not to have information about the fertility gradient or the
damage on the same film. For this reason it is not possible to define gradients resulting detection and
randomization shall be carried out according to Clause 6.
The visual examinations and the photographic surveys shall be performed on portions of film of a width not
less than the width of the mulched area and for a length of 1 000 mm. The number of areas viewed to be
chosen as provided in 6.2.
The visual examination is performed by assigning an index number between 1 and 9 to the sampled parcels
according to regulations, if any [3].
The index numbers of the scale indicate:
— value 1 for a completely free soil from covering mulching film;
— value 9 for a soil completely covered by mulching film.
Intermediate values give the incidence of alteration that varies between the maximum and minimum.
The assessment of this variability is carried out by means of examples given Figure 1.
If the index numbers 8 and 9 represent more than 80 % of the examined parcels, the alteration is considered
accidental, and then it is not necessary to continue with further detections. Similarly if they are less than
20 %, the photographic survey will also run to highlight or not the presence of damage.
a) Index of the evaluation scale: 9 b) Index of the evaluation scale: 8

c) Index of the evaluation scale: 7 d) Index of the evaluation scale: 6

e) Index of the evaluation scale: 4 f) Index of the evaluation scale: 1
Figure 1 — Sample photographs for the evaluation in the field of the cover of the soil by
biodegradable film
Photographic survey refers to a photograph of mulched area with a length of 1 000 mm and a defined width
by the exposed part of the biodegradable mulching film. The photographic survey it is subjected to image
analysis through the use of specific software, which allows determining the percentage of the area of the
missing film.
The analysis of the image cannot ignore the visual examination of the spread of the alteration.
The way in which the photographic survey is performed for analysis, represents the most fundamental and
critical point for the evaluation of the alteration. The choice of the sampling mode (photographic surveys),
the location and the number of assessments shall be related to the purpose of the investigation and to the
degree of detail to be achieved and in line with the provisions of the regulations, if any [3].
6 Apparatus
6.1 Meter (to measure the distance along the row).
6.2 Sheet pads on which to collect the raw data relating to the estimate of the diffusion and incidence.
6.3 Digital camera.
6.4 Computer.
6.5 Software for image analysis (e.g. Image Tool).
6.6 Software for calculation of the formula of Mc Kinney.
7 Sampling
7.1 Sampling zone
The sampling zone c
...