DEAS 91 3:2018  
 
© EAS 2018                                                                                                               First Edition 201 8 
 
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Fertilizer – Methods of sampling  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY   
  Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for 
harmonizing requirements governing quality of products and services in the East A frican 
Community. It is envisaged that through harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are 
encountered when goods and services are exchanged within the Community will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an Eas t African Standards 
Committee mandated to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner 
States, together with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer 
organizations. Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the 
National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments received are discussed and 
incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures o f the 
Community.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. 
Users of the East African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have 
the latest versions of the standards they are implementing .   
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  Fertilizer – Methods of sampling  
1 Scope  
This Draft East African  Standard specifies  method of drawing test samples from bags, as well 
as drawing samples of bulk material from wagon, truck loads or from flowing streams and 
from transfer belts.  
2 Normative  References  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. 
For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition 
of the referenced document (including any amendments) ap plies; 
ISO 8157, Fertilizer and Soil Conditioners ― Vocabulary  
3 Terms and Definition  
For the purpose of this East African  standard, the following terms and definition shall apply 
together with those given in ISO 8157 ; 
3.1  
Sample  
A small representative quantity of fertilizer, normally taken for the inten tion of testing or 
analyzing the quality, particle size, nature of the whole specimen  
3.2  
Sampling  
The act or process of selecting a sample for testing, analyzing, etc.  
2.3  
Lot 
A definitive quantity of a fertilizer produced \taken essentially under the sa me conditions  
2.4  
Batch  
A quantity or consignment of fertilizer produced at one time  
4 General requirements for sampling from solid fertilizers  
4.1 In drawing samples, the following precautions and directions shall be observed . 
4.1.1 Samples shall be take n from the place of storage, and the process of sampling shall 
not be exposed to weather. The sampling equipment shall be clean, dry and should not be a 
source of contamination. The material being sampled, the sampling equipment and the 
containers for samp les shall be protected from adventitious contamination. Metallic containers 
must be avoided. The sample immediately after being drawn shall be placed in wide -mouthed 
clean, dry and airtight glass or other suitable containers, for example Poly Vinyl Chlorid e 
(PVC) or polyethylene, which must not react with fertilizer.   
  4.1.2 The sample containers shall be of such size that they are almost completely filled by 
the sample (but not tightly packed). Each sample container shall be sealed air -tight filling and 
accompanied (marked) with full details of sampling inclusive of the following: -  
a) Name and address of the fertilizer dealer ; 
b) The date of sampling ; 
c) Name of fertilizer ; 
d) The physical condition of the products ; 
e) Name of the person who takes sample ; 
f) Batch number ; and 
g) Remarks . 
4.2 Sample shall be stored in shade under dry weather conditions and immediately taken 
to laboratory for analysis  
5 Sampling  
5.1 Sampling from bagged fertilizers  
5.1.1 Apparatus  
Slotted single tube probe – Solid cone tip constructed of stainles s steel or brass. The length  
of the probe, exclusive of handle, should approximately be equal to the diagonal of bag to be 
sampled. As fertilizers are normally marketed in 50 kg bags; an overall length of 110 cm 
would be adequate for fertilizers of low bul k density. A slot length of 105 cm and a width of 
1.5 cm would be appropriate. The inside diameter of the probe should be 1.5 cm minimum. 
The probe is as shown in figure 1 below.  
 
                                              Figure 1 – Slotted single tub e probe   
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  5.1.2 Procedure  
5.1.2.1  Place the bag in horizontal position, then roll or flip over three or more times.  
5.1.2.2  Open the bag by cutting a couple of stitches at one corner. Insert the probe so 
that it extends diagonally from corner to corner (see  figure 1) with slot down. It should not 
pierce through the bag. Turn it one half to bring the slot up, jar bag slightly to fill the probe, 
and remove carefully not to drag material out of it with bag edges.  
5.1.2.3  Empty entire contents of each probe int o a suitable container. Take one core per 
bag. Combine contents of all probes of the lot being sampled and place in a container with 
moisture seal. Label the contents before another lot is sampled.  
5.1.2.4  In case the material in bag is found to be in cak e condition, the bag is dropped 
several times from a height of 1metre till lumps are all broken up before sampling with the 
probe. Mild strokes with a wooden hammer may be helpful. In cases of extreme difficulty, the 
bag may be opened out and a sample take n either by piffling or by coning and quartering.  
5.1.3  Scale of sampling  
5.1.3.1  Lot – all bags (containers) in a single consignment of the material of the same 
grade and type, coming out from the single batch of manufacture shall constitute a lot. If a  
consignment is declared to consist of different batches or sources of manufacture, the 
batches shall be marked separately and the groups of containers in each batch shall 
constitute separate lots. In case of a consignment drawn from a continuous process, 2000 
bags or 100 tons of the material shall constitute a lot.  
5.1.3.2  During sampling, bags (containers) must be selected at random from the lot. In 
order to ensure randomness of the selection, the following procedure shall be adopted: 
Starting from any co ntainer in the lot, count them as 1, 2, 3, . . . . up to r and so on, r being 
the integral part of N/n. Every rth container thus counted shall be withdrawn till the requisite 
numbers of containers are obtained.  
5.1.3.3  The number of containers to be chosen  for sampling from a lot shall depend on 
the size of the lot and shall be as given in table 1.  
Table 1 – Number of containers or packages to be selected for sampling  
Lot size (N)  Number of containers/packages to 
be selected (n)  
2 - 8 2 
9 - 27 3 
28 - 64 4 
65 - 100 5 
101 - 300 6 
301 - 500 7 
501 - 800 8 
801 - 1300  9 
1301 and above  10 
  
  5.2 Sampling of bulk fertilizers  
5.2.1 Fertilizers in wagons, storage bins, truck and trailers  
5.2.1.1  Apparatus  
Double tube probe  – This is a non -corrodible probe of 1 30 cm to 155 cm length as shown in  
Figure 2 below.  
  
Figure 2 – Double tube probe  
5.2.1.2  Procedure  
The double probe tube is inserted vertically to its full depth in the open portion at the location 
desired. From each lot or batch take 20 samples (cores) at random portions.  
5.2.2 Fertilizers from conveyor belt or chute  
5.2.2.1  Apparatus  
Stream sampling cup  – Inside dimensions of the cup mouth are 1.9 cm x 25.4 cm. The 
length  must be as long as maximum diameter of stream. The stream sampling cup is as 
shown  on Figure 3 below .  
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  
  
Figure 3 – Stream sampling cup  
5.2.2.2  Procedure  
Take 20 samples (cores) at equal intervals through the whole period of passage of a lot or 
batch using the stream sampling cup. In ship, sample separately from each compartment 
(hatch) . 
6 Preparation of sample  
In laboratory pass the fertilizer sample through a sieve aperture 1.7 mm. Reduce the material 
to an amount sufficient for analysis. Sieve through a sieve aperture 1.0 mm. Grind in a mortar  
the part remaining on the sieve until all  particles pass through. Mix thoroughly, transfer 
immediately to a stoppered wide -mouth bottle and preserve this as the prepared sample for 
analysis. Grinding and sieving shall be done as rapidly as possible to minimize gain or loss of 
moisture.