SRI LANKA STANDARD 1704: 2021

UDC 628

SPECIFICATION FOR
STERILIZED SOLID ORGANIC
FERTILIZER

SRI LANKA STANDARDS INSTITUTION

 Sri Lanka Standard
SPECIFICATION FOR STERILIZED SOLID ORGANIC FERTILIZER

SLS 1704: 2021

Gr.9

Copyright Reserved
SRI LANKA STANDARDS INSTITUTION
No17, Victoria Place,
Elvitigala Mawatha,
Colombo 8.
Sri Lanka.
 Sri Lanka Standards are subject to
periodical revision in order to
accommodate the progress made by
industry. Suggestions for improvement
will be recorded and brought to the notice
of the Committees to which the revisions
are entrusted.
This Standard does not purport to include
all the necessary provisions of a contract

© SLSI 2021
All right reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
microfilm, without permission in writing from the SLSI.
 SLS 1704:2021

Sri Lanka Standard

SPECIFICATION FOR STERILIZED SOLID ORGANIC FERTILIZER

FOREWORD

This Standard was approved by the Sectoral Committee on Agriculture and was authorized for
adoption and publication as a Sri Lanka Standard by the Council of the Sri Lanka Standards
Institution on 2021- 05 - 25

Since public comments were unsolicited in developing this standard, it remains subject to
amendments based on further comments in accordance with the good practices of
standardization

This Standard prescribes the requirements for sterilized solid organic fertilizer intended to use
for eco-friendly agriculture.

Sterilized solid organic fertilizer shall not contain any materials hazardous to plant, animal or
human health. It provides plant nutrients and enhances physical, chemical and biological
properties of the soil.

This Standard is subjected to the restrictions imposed under the Regulation of Fertilizer Act
No. 69 of 1988, Fauna and Flora Protection Act No. 44 of 1964 Plant Protection Act No 35
of 1999, Food Act No. 26 of 1980, Animal Diseases Act, No. 59 of 1992, National
Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980 and quarantine and prevention of diseases ordinance
(chapter 222), their amendments and the regulations framed thereunder, and any other
regulatory and statutory requirements wherever applicable.

For the purpose of deciding whether a particular requirement of this specification is complied
with, the final value, observed or calculated, expressing the result of a test or an analysis shall
be rounded off in accordance with SLS 102. The number of significant figures retained in the
rounded off value shall be the same as that of the specified value in this standard.

Guidelines for the determination of a compliance of a lot with the requirements of this Standard
based on statistical sampling and inspection are given in Appendix A.

In the preparation of this standard, valuable assistance was derived from related publication of
the African organization for Standardization, Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, The European Parliament and the council and Malaysian National Standard
Institution

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SLS 1704:2021

1 SCOPE

This standard prescribes the requirements, methods of sampling, testing and packaging for
sterilized solid organic fertilizer intended to use for ecofriendly agriculture. This does not cover
compost and organic fertilizer of liquid forms or other solids or liquids that contain only plant growth
regulators or plant growth promoting substances.

2 REFERENCES

SLS 102 Rules for rounding off numerical values

SLS 428 Random sampling method

SLS 544 Code of practice for handling and storage of bagged fertilizers
SLS 559 Method for sampling fertilizers

SLS 645 Methods of test for fertilizers

Part 2: Determination of moisture content
Part 3: Determination biuret content
Part 4: Determination of Potassium content
Part 5: Determination of Phosphorus content
Part 6: Determination of Calcium and Magnesium content
SLS 1324 Requirements for Organic agriculture production and processing
SLS 1526 Test methods for determination of soil pH
SLS 1635 Specification for compost made from raw materials of Agriculture
origin

3 DEFINITIONS

3.1 foreign matter: Any material which are not accepted in organic fertilizer intended to
use for organic agriculture such as metal, stones, plastic, textile, pieces and any other
undecomposed material.

3.2 plant growth regulator / promoter: any compound /formula that promotes or
modifies of physiological processes in plants intended to be used in agriculture

3.3 organism included any active, infective, or dormant stage of life of an entity
characterized as living, including plants, bacteria, algae, fungi, phytoplasma, mycoplasma,
mycoplasma-like entities, protozoa, vertebrate and invertebrate animals, as well as entities such
as viruses, viroids, plasmids, phages or any living entity, related thereto, whether natural,
genetically modified, living modified, or otherwise;

3.4 micro plastics Fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm (0.20 in) in length

3.5 pathogens: Organisms causing diseases to man, animals or plants

3.6 plant macro nutrient: Group of nutrients needed by plants in large amounts (plant
contains greater than 1g / per kg in plants).

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3.7 plant micro nutrient: Group of nutrients which are essential for plant growth but are
required in small amounts (plant contains less than 1 g / kg in plant).

3.8 product: Sterilized solid organic fertilizer intended to be used for agriculture

3.9 raw materials: Naturally occurring materials including crop and animal origin which
has not been contaminated with prohibited substances prescribed in Appendix H of this
standard

3.10 sewage sludge: The residue resulting from the treatment of wastewater released from
various sources, including human waste, homes, industries, medical facilities, street runoffs
and business.

3.11 solid form: Form characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape
or volume and in which the atoms are tightly bound to each other, either in a regular geometric
lattice (crystalline solids) or in an irregular manner (an amorphous solid);.

3.12 sterilization: Destroying the microbial populations, and seeds and vegetative organs of
weeds within the organic fertilizer.

3.13 sterilized solid organic fertilizer: Any product in solid form, of plant (except by-
products from petroleum industries) or animal origin that has undergone substantial
decomposition that can supply total nutrients to plants comprising Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus
(P) and Potassium (K) at a minimum of eight percent (8%). This shall not contain
microorganisms, but shall contain naturally occurring minerals with no added chemical or
inorganic fertilizer material in the finished product to affect the nutrient content.

4 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 General requirements

Forms The product can be in granulated, pelleted or mash form (Table 1)

4.1.1 Colour

The colour of the product shall be brown to black.

4.1.2 Keeping properties

The product shall comply with the requirements specified in this Standard, after storage in
packages/ containers as prescribed in clause 5 at room temperature for not more than 24 months
from the date of production.

4.1.3 Moisture content

The product shall not contain more than 15 percent (15%) of moisture by dry mass, when tested
as prescribed in SLS 645 : Part 2.

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SLS 1704:2021

4.1.4 Odour

The product shall be free from any foul odor.

4.1.5 Texture

The texture of the product shall be friable when moist. (this requirement is not applicable for
pelleted forms)

4.1.6 Raw Material

Raw materials used for production of organic fertilizer shall not include or be contaminated
with prohibited substances prescribed in APPENDIX H of this standard and shall be in
accordance with the requirements of SLS 1324.
Sewage sludge (including industrial waste and human waste), shall not be used as a raw
material or any other raw materials shall not be contaminated with sewage sludge.
Properly treated animal waste can be used as a raw material, un-treated animal waste shall not
be used

Municipal waste, industrial waste, clinical waste and human waste shall not be permitted as
raw material and any organic fertilizer product shall not be contaminated with such materials
4.2 Physical requirements
The product shall also be conforming with the physical requirements given in Table 1 when
tested in accordance with the relevant methods given in Column 4 of the table.

TABLE 1 – Physical requirements

Sl Characteristics Requirement Method of test
No.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
i) pH 6.5-8.5 SLS 1526

ii) Conductivity dSm-1, max. 4.0 Appendix B

iii) ForeignvMatter/ visible Free from visible

contaminants non-biodegradable Appendix C
materials

iv) Sand content, per cent by mass, on dry 5 Appendix D

basis, max.

v) Particle size, residue particles when 2

passing through 4 mm sieve, percent Appendix E
by mass, max. *
* this requirement is not applicable for pelleted forms

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4.3 Chemical requirements

The product shall be conforming to the chemical requirements given in Table 2 when tested
in accordance with the relevant methods given in Column 4 of the table.

TABLE 2 - Chemical requirements

Sl Characteristics Requirement Method of test
No.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
i) Total Nitrogen content as N, percent by dry 5 SLS 645: part 1
basis, min.

ii) Total Phosphate content as P2O5, percent by 1.0 SLS 645: part 5
dry basis, min.

iii) Total Potassium content as K2O, percent, by 2 SLS 645: part 4

dry basis, min.
SLS 645: part 6
iv) Total Magnesium content, as MgO percent by 0.5
dry basis, min.
SLS 645: part 6
Total Calcium content, as CaO percent by dry
v) 0.5
basis, min.

vi) Organic Carbon as C, percent, by dry basis, 15 Appendix F

min.

When the product specially processed for providing one or two plant nutrient/s the sum of the
declared nutrient percentage shall not be less than 5 percent (5%) by dry mass

4.3.1 Adulterations

4.3.1.1. Biuret
Biuret shall not be present in the product when tested according to the test method prescribed
in SLS 645 Part 3

4.3.1.2 Melamine
Melamine shall not be detected in the product when tested by electrospray ionization liquid
chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

4.4 Living organism

The product shall be free from any living organism or their viable forms as defined in
clause 3.3

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4.5 Limits for potentially toxic elements

The product shall not exceed the limits for potentially toxic elements given in Table 3 when
tested in accordance with the relevant methods given in Column 4 of the table.

TABLE 3 – Limits for potentially toxic elements

Sl Potentially toxic element Limit Method of test
No.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
i) Cadmium as Cd, mg/ kg dry basis, max. 1.5 AOAC 2006.03
ii) Chromium as Cr, mg/ kg dry basis, max. 50
iii) Lead as Pb, mg/ kg dry basis, max. 30
iv) Mercury as Hg, mg/ kg dry basis, max. 0.5
v) Arsenic as As, mg/ kg dry basis, max 3
vi) Nickel as Ni, mg/ kg dry basis, max. 40

4.6 Antibiotic residues

The product shall not contain residues of antibiotics

4.7 Organic pollutants

The product shall be free from any Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP), listed substances under
the Stockholm Convention

4.8 Micro plastics The product shall not contain micro plastics or their traces

4.9 Pesticide residues

The product shall not contain any pesticides detectable under multi-residue screening methods
GC-ECD/NPD, GC-MS, and LC-MS/MS

4.10 Nitrogenous residue

The product shall be free from added synthetic or manufactured nitrogen compounds as tested
according to the test method prescribed in Method of Soil Analysis Part 2, Chemical and
Microbiological Properties, 9.2.2. second edition, Chapter 34, Nitrogen-Urea, First published:
01 February 1983 (Appendix G)

5 PACKAGING

Organic fertilizer shall be packed in sound, strong and moisture proof packages or containers.
For organic fertilizer weighing 5 kg or more must be packaged in polypropylene bags with an
inner lining of low density polyethylene having a minimum thickness 50 µm or any other
material with barrier properties superior (High Density Polyethylene) or equal to low density
polyethylene of 50 µm thickness to afford maximum protection from normal hazard of
transportation and handling. Those weighing 5 kg or less must be packaged in polyethylene
bag with a suitable thickness. Suitable packages include polypropylene, of mass 1-50 kg. The
product may also be supplied in bulk containers as agreed between the purchaser and the
supplier.

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6 MARKING AND LABELLING

The package shall be legibly and indelibly have marked with the following information and
shall comply with the National Fertilizer Act No. 69 of 1988 (as amended) and regulations in
Sri Lanka.

a. Name and type of the product;

b. Name and type of raw materials used;
c. Name and address of the manufacturer, including country of origin;
d. Brand name and/ or trade mark, if any;
e. Date of packaged;
f. Net mass in kilograms;
g. Instructions for storage and use;
h. Date of expiry/ date of best before;
i. Batch No;
j Total Nitrogen to total dry mass per cent by mass;
k Total Phosphorus as P2O5 to total dry mass per cent by dry basis;
m Total Potassium as K2O to total dry mass per cent by dry basis;
n Total organic Carbon as C to total dry mass per cent by dry basis;
q The statement “Use no hooks”.

7 HANDLING AND STORAGE

The handling and storage of the material shall be as prescribed in SLS 544.

8 SAMPLING

Representative samples of the product for ascertaining conformity to the requirements of their
specification shall be drawn as prescribed in Appendix A.

9 METHODS OF TEST

9.1 Test shall be carried out as prescribed in Part 5 and 12 of SLS 516 , Part 1, 2, 4, 5 and
6 of SLS 645, Appendices B, C D, E, F ,G, H, I, J of this Standard and AOAC Method
2006. 03

10.2 Unless otherwise stated, use only reagents of analytical grade and only distilled water
or water of equivalent purity.

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SLS 1704:2021

APPENDIX A
COMPLIANCE OF A LOT

The sampling scheme given in this Appendix should be applied where compliance of a lot to
the requirements of this Standard to be assessed based on statistical sampling and inspection.

A.1 LOT

In any consignment, all the packages of same size belonging to one batch of manufacture or
supply shall constitute a lot.

A.2 SCALE OF SAMPLING

A.2.1 The sampling shall be carried out as prescribed in SLS 559.

A.3 NUMBER OF TESTS

A.3.1 Each package selected as in SLS 559 shall be inspected for packaging and marking
requirements.

A.3.2 Tests for the requirements specified in clause 4 shall be carried out on the composite
samples prepared as in SLS 559.

A.4 CRITERIA FOR CONFORMITY

A lot shall be declared as conforming to the requirements of this specification if the following
conditions are satisfied:

A.4.1 Each package inspected as in A.3.1 satisfies the relevant requirements.

A.4.2 The composite sample, when tested as in A.3.2 satisfies the relevant requirements.

APPENDIX B
DETERMINATION OF CONDUCTIVITY

B.1 REAGENTS
B.1.1 0.01M Potassium chloride (AR grade),

B.1.2 Distilled water

B.2 APPARATUS

B.2.1 Conductivity meter (with temperature compensation system),

B.2.2 4 mm sieve,

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 SLS 1704:2021

B.2.3 flask (250 ml),

B.2.4 funnel (outer diameter = 75mm),

B.2.5 beaker (100 ml),

B.2.6 analytical balance,

B.2.7 filter paper; No 4

B.3 PROCEDURE

Pass fresh sample of compost through a 4 mm sieve. Take 20 g of the sample and add 100 ml
of distilled water, stir for an hour at regular intervals. Calibrate the conductivity meter by using
0.01 M potassium chloride solution. Measure the conductivity of the filtered compost
suspension. Express the results as dSm-1 at 25 o C.

APPENDIX C
DETERMINATION OF VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER

C.1 GENERAL

This Appendix sets out a method for determining the visible contaminants with inorganic
materials including stones, clay, glass, plastics, and metal etc.

C.2 PRINCIPLE

The mass of a portion of the products is determined on an air-dried sample.

C.3 APPARATUS

C.3.1 Balance accurate to 0.01 g,

C.3.2 Weighing dishes (clean and dried) that are large enough to hold 200 ml or 500 ml.

C.3.3 Tweezers

C.3.4 Sieve with 2 mm and 5 mm apertures

C.4 PROCEDURE

(a) Take a representative sample of 200 g (w). Sieve by 2mm apparatus. Allow it to sun
dry or oven dry not more than 40 oC. Remove by hand or by tweezers from the >2 mm fraction
all visible pieces of glass, hard plastic, stones and metal. Determine their mass (m).

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SLS 1704:2021

C.5 CALCULATION

Calculate the visible contaminants of the product, expressed as percentages, using the
following equation:

(Percentage of visible contaminants = x 100)

where
w is the weight, in grams of the sample; and
m is the mass, in grams, of visible contaminants.

APPENDIX D
DETERMINATION OF SAND CONTENT

D.1 APPARATUS

D.1.1 Beaker - 1000 ml

D.1.2 Oven – maintained at 105 + 2 o C

D.1.3 Weighing balance –accuracy 1 mg

D.2 PROCEDURE

D.2.1 Weigh 100 g of the sample to the nearest milligram, (mg) transfer into a 1000-ml beaker
with stopper. Add water up to the mark and shake well. Leave to settle.

D.2.2 Decant the water and the floating particles, leaving the sand at the bottom. Wash the
residue thoroughly with water. Repeat washings until all the other particles are removed.

D.2.3 Transfer the sand into a petri dish and dry in an oven maintained at 105 + 2 oC for 1
hour. Cool in a desiccator and weigh to the nearest milligram. (m1) Repeat the process of
heating, cooling and weighing at 30 minutes intervals until the difference between two
consecutive readings does not exceed 2mg. Record the final mass.

D.3 CALCULATION

m1
Sand content per cent by mass = x 100
m0
where,

m0 is the mass, in grams, of the sample; and

m1 is the mass, in grams, of sand.

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APPENDIX E
DETERMINATION OF PARTICLE SIZE

E.1 GENERAL

This Appendix sets out a method for determining the particle size grading of the product and
the classification of the product based on this.

E.2 PRINCIPLE
Soil conditioners, coarse mulches and fine mulches are assessed using sieves of standard size
apertures.

E.3 APPARATUS

E.3.1 Stacking sieve with square apertures of 4 mm

E.3.2 A receiving pan for the sieves stack.

E.3.3 Balance accurate to 0.01g.

E.4 PROCEDURE

E.4.1 Sieve and weigh particle size fractions

The procedure shall be as follows:

a) Select a respective aliquot of a size determined as in the Appendix A, from the bag or
batch of product being assessed. Air or oven dry at not higher than 40 0 C +2 0 C;
b) Determine mass of sample to the nearest 1 g;
c) Place the entire sample on a sieve stack comprising the 4 mm sieve on top then the
receiving pan on the bottom;
d) Shake in a horizontal plane for 1 to 2 minutes until no more material falls through the
4 mm sieve; and
e) Separately weigh material retained by 4 mm sieve to the nearest 1 g and record each of
the weights.

E.5 CALCULATION

Each of the sieved fractions as a percentage (%) by weight of the total dry material samples.

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APPENDIX F
DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC CARBON (WALKLEY-BLACK METHOD)

F.1 APPARATUS

F.1.1 Erlenmeyer flask

F.2 REAGENTS

F.2.1 Potassium dichromate solution (1 N) - Dissolve 49.04 g of potassium dichromate

dried at 200 0C for 2 hours .

F.2.2 Sulfuric acid- concentrated.

F.2.3 Phosphoric acid (85 per cent).

F.2.4 Diphenylamine indicator - Dissolve 0.5 g diphenylamine in 20 ml of distilled water.

Add 100 sulfuric acid and mix.

F.2.5 Ferrous sulfate solution (0.5 N)- Dissolve 140 g of ferrous sulfate or 200 g of ferrous
ammonium sulfate in 15 ml concentrated sulfuric acid and make up to 1000 ml with distilled
water.

F.3 PROCEDURE

F.3.1 Weigh 0.25 g of the sample. Transfer to the Erlenmeyer flask using 10 ml of Potassium
dichromate. Add 20 ml of Sulfuric acid. If the colour changes immediately to green, reduce the
sample. Leave for 30 minutes and dilute to 200 ml.

F.3.2 Add 10 ml of 85 per cent Phosphoric acid, then add 1.0 ml Diphenylamine indicator.
Titrate against Ferrous sulfate solution until the colour changes to blackish green. Perform a
blank titration.

F.4 CALCULATION

Organic matter per cent by mass = (Vb-Vs) N X 0.399

m
Where;
N is the normality of Ferrous sulfate solution;
Vs is the volume in milliliters of Ferrous sulfate used for the sample;
Vb is the volume in milliliters of Ferrous sulfate used for the blank; and
m is the mass in grams of the sample used.

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APPENDIX G
DETERMINATION OF RESIDUES OF ADDED ARTIFICIAL NITROGEN
SUBSTANCES (MICROSCALE METHOD FOR UREA DETERMINATION)

G.1 APPARATUS
G.1.1 Corning 96-well Assay Plates with Lids: Cat. #25880-96, Corning Glass Works,
Coming, NY.
G.1.2 Kimble Shell Vials with Stoppers: Cat. #60930L-4 (21 mm od, 70 mm long).
G.1.3 Digital Microliter Pipette: adjustable to 100 µl
G.1.4 Multichannel Pipette: adjustable to 150 µl
G.1.5 Microplate Reader: capable of absorbance measurements at 500-550 nm. The Ceres
Model 900 Microplate Workstation, available from BioTek Instruments, Winooski, VT, is
satisfactory.
G.1.6 Microplate Shaker.
G.1.7 Laboratory Oven: capable of maintaining a temperature of 87±1°C.
G.2 Reagents
G.2.1 Phenylmercuric Acetate (PMA) Solution: Phenylmercuric acetate (50 mg) was
dissolved in distilled, deionized (DI) water in a 1-l volumetric flask.
G.2.2 Potassium Chloride-Phenylmercuric Acetate (2M KCI-PMA) Solution: Potassium
chloride (1.5 kg) was dissolved in 9 L of DI water, and add 1 L of PMA solution was added.
G.2.3 Diacetyl Monoxime (DAM) Solution: Diacetyl monoxime (3.75 g) was dissolved in
100 mL of DI water.
G.2.4 Thiosemicarbazide (TSC) Solution: Thiosemicarbazide (0.375 g) was dissolved in 100
mL DI water.
G.2.5 Acid Reagent: To 150 mL of concentrated (8.7M) phosphoric acid (H3PO4), add 6 mL
of concentrated (18M) sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and dilute the mixture to 200 mL with DI water
and mix thoroughly.
G.2.6 Color Reagent: To 100 mL of the acid reagent, add 5 mL of DAM solution and 3 mL
of TSC solution. This reagent should be prepared immediately before use.
G.2.7 Standard Urea-N Solution: Pure, dry urea (0.2143 g) dissolved in 2M KCI-PMA in a
500-mL volumetric flask, dilute to volume with 2M KCI-PMA, and mix thoroughly. This
solution contains 200 mg of urea-N/L and store in a refrigerator.
G.2.8 Working Standards for calibration up to 20 mg of Urea-N: Dispense 0-, 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-,
13-, 15-, and 20-mL aliquots of the standard urea-N solution into shell vials, bring to 20 mL
with KCI-PMA, and mix thoroughly.

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SLS 1704:2021

G.3 Method: Pipette a 100 µL aliquot of each diluted soil extract (see below) and each
working standard urea-N solution into individual wells of the assay plate. Using a multichannel
pipette, add 150 µL of color reagent to each well. Thereafter, cover the assay plate with a
matching lid, followed by vortex mixing for 1 min to ensure uniformity. Immediately place the
covered plate in a laboratory oven maintained at 87 °C. After 55 min, remove the covered plate
from the oven and allow to cool for 20 min at room temperature without exposure to light (e.g.,
by placement in a light-tight drawer). Then, remove the lid and load the plate into the
microplate reader for absorbance measurements.

APPENDIX H
SUBSTANCES PROHIBITED FOR USE IN PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
ORGANIC FERTILIZER

H.1 Any synthetic substances are prohibited to be used as a raw material and / or
ingredient

H.2 Non-synthetic substances

The following non-synthetic substances shall not be used in the production and processing of
organic fertilizer:

(a) Ash from manure burning.

(b) Arsenic.

(c) Calcium chloride, brine process is natural and prohibited for use except as a foliar
spray to treat a physiological disorder associated with calcium uptake.

(d) Lead salts.

(e) Potassium chloride—unless derived from a mined source and applied in a manner that
minimizes chloride accumulation in the soil.

(f) Rotenone

(g) Sodium fluoaluminate (mined).

(h) Sodium nitrate

(i) Strychnine.

(j) Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate).

………………….

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