Zbigniew Strojny, Jacek S. Nowak

Abstract. Gradual introduction of new CEN standards yielded the many years effort aiming unification the methods of determining physical and chemical properties of horticultural growing media in European scale. Set of EN norms was published precisely regulating the analytical procedure in order to receive reliable and comparable estimation of qualitative state of growing media and their components used in plant production. In paper the reference method relying on water extraction 1 + 5 was described in details.

Principles of methods of the chemical analyses
of horticultural substrates established by European Union

Summary

Status of standardization works towards the unification of methods of chemical analyses of horticultural substrates in European Union was described. It is strongly connected with the introduction of whole integrated systems of quality evaluation of substrates and their components. Common procedure of chemical analyzing of substrates is based on the extraction with water in ratio 1+5. Detailed characteristic of this procedure was presented. But the countries with the most advanced horticulture do not resign using their presently used methods: Holland – method based on water extraction in ratio 1 + 1.5, Germany – CAT method. These methods remain as official EU methods. Actions are organized in order to achieve the maximum repeatability and reproducibility of the results being received with using standard methods: interlaboratory tests, international workshops.