22nd MEETING I CEN/TC260/WG3
LIMING MATERIALS FOR AGRICULTURE
AT PARTEK NORDKALK OY AB,
Hotel Hamburger Börs
TURKU, FINLAND
2^nd and 3^rd September 2002

4 laborious work items were under discussion during this meeting of European standardization in CEN/TC260/WG3. Dr. Karl-Jan Erstad from Consultative Agronomists represented Norwegian interests and the Norwegian Standardization Body as member of CEN: Soil Incubation, Lime Requirement in Soils, Acid/base effects of mineral fertilizers and Description and Minimum Requirements for Liming Materials.

1. Soil Incubation
It was decided that the standard should be divided into 2 parts, Method A (French, qualitative) and a Method B (Norwegian, quantitative for efficiency of liming materials), implemented after clause 3 ’Principle’. This work should be fulfilled by Mr. FranV ois-Xavier Gaumont (F) and Dr. Karl-Jan Erstad (N) by the end of September 2002.

Under direction of France and Norway a ring test with the following parameters will be organized: 4 products + reference material, 2 soils distributed (possibly + 2 local soils), and with 8 participating laboratories.

2. Lime Requirement in Soils
At the previous meeting it was requested to forward comments to Mr. Joachim Pollehn (D), but very few contributions were received. Norway had forwarded a criterion for toxic aluminium in soil, Al-AS (ammonium sulphate soluble Al), originally Swedish data – Dr. Sten Ståhlberg.
The work with this general standard of guidelines progresses slowly.

3. Acid/base effects of mineral fertilizers
The German experts have claimed the need for extending the Scope of this NV method to mineral fertilizers restricting it to fertilizers which contain only calcite, dolomite and alternatively neutral salts of calcium and magnesium – none of the others. Moreover, the fertilizers should not contain nitrogen.

Following this revised German proposal it was obvious that it tried to take the sting out of the range of phosphate fertilizers in Germany ‘sailing under false colours,’ i.e. declaring lime effect of all Ca and Mg compounds.

Most countries now shrugged at the restricted sense of the German proposal, and the voting showed 10 against and only 4 in favour of the extended Scope of EN 12945. Norway forwards to the next TC260 meeting the establishment of Task Force between WG2 and WG3 to consider the broad aspects of lime effects of fertilizers in soil.

4. Comments and resolution meeting – results of the 2^nd CEN enquiry for prEN 14069
The Irish protested to no earthly use, and wrecked with all sails set. The sake was lost with their obstinate attitude. Ireland maintained that we should standardize ‘high quality products,’ but secretary to WG3, Mr. Brian Annis (UK), rejected that this position that was funded in the rules of CEN.

As a precision – and in order to meet the Irish criticism, too, that the farmers were betrayed – it was confirmed again that in the requirements for the liming materials NV (neutralizing value) should be considered on dry matter basis, but the declarations should give NV (and magnesium) as delivered.

There is no sign of an EU legislation for liming materials, and stricter, national laws override this standard. The BeNeLux countries would probably ask for an A deviation, because their NV values are legally at a lower level.

The next meeting at TC 260 level will be in Brussels, Belgium, 4^th and 5^th November 2002, and of WG3 will be in Sweden 10^th and 11^th March 2003, most likely in Malmö.

Further information about these items is available from Consultative Agronomists, the Norwegian General Standardizing Body (by Inger S. Jørgensen, Oslo), the Norwegian Lime Association (by Carl S. Østberg, Hamar) and Hydro Agri Norge (by Torbjørn Legard, Porsgrunn).