Potting soils and mixes are produced from a mixture of on farm materials if possible.

Requirements:​

• At least 25% by volume of potting mixes must consist of prepared composts made from plant material or animal manure.
• Plant materials for composting, and finished compost made from bark, leaves, wood shavings etc. that comes from community areas may be used if a residue test proves that they are acceptably clean.
• Peat is only allowed as a constituent for propagation beds and potting mixes. The proportion of peat is to be kept as low as possible and may not exceed 70%.
• Any fertilisers must meet the requirements of this standard (see Appendix in Soil).
• The use of synthetic soil improving agents is prohibited.

Commercial potting mixes maybe used, if the following requirements are met:

• The commercial potting mix is approved for use in organic farming
• The commercial potting mix is produced from enterprises which use at least 25% prepared compost. Alternatively, 25% of prepared compost can be added at the farm itself.
• In order to stimulate the use of peat free potting mixes, they can be used without additional prepared compost. The preparations have to be applied after sowing/planting.

Other potting mixes (not commercial), if approved for organic farming, are only allowed with approval of the respective organisation (APP. 3A, please see to Appendix 6).

Requirements:​

Plants must be grown in soil which is in contact with the earth.

Soil-less growing techniques (hydroponics, thin soil layer etc.), crops grown on inert substrates (e.g. scoria) and container crops are prohibited.

Thin soil layer techniques (with the exception of cress, and sprouts grown on a base that is sold with the sprouts) are prohibited.

Chicory roots should be forced in soil. If water techniques are used, the water must have no additives which are prohibited in this standard. Water forced chicory must be declared as such.

Crop rotation, how the soil is worked, and crop husbandry are of decisive importance for weed control.

Requirements:

Mechanical measures are preferred over thermal techniques.

The soil may not be kept free of vegetation through the whole year.

Soil in the field may not be steamed

Mulching Materials:​

Permitted:

• Mulching with organic material from agricultural origin (on-farm and brought in / like straw, woodchips, leaf mulch, wool, jute, paper)

Prohibitied:

• Mulching material made of plastics based on mineral oil
• regenerative raw materials
• oxo-degradable materials
• combinations of the above

If other materials are used, they must be usable for several years (for example weed suppressing mats) or be part of a local recycling system.

Production under cloth or film, especially plastic which covers the soil, must be ket to a minimum.  Perforated materials suitable for multiple uses are to be preferred.

Every substance used for a plant protection product must be listed in the Appendix below. If commercial products are bought in, care must be taken that they are free from constituents prohibited in this standard and are not produced from genetically modified raw material nor with the help of genetically modified organisms nor are they genetically modified organisms themselves.

Any use of a product not permitted by this standard leads to decertification of the farm, or at least the treated crops and areas.

For further details please see Farm Organism – Residues and refer to national sanction orders.

Principle:

It cannot be emphasised enough that the aim of biodynamic agriculture is to work towards a self-sustaining farm organism.  This means that focus on the health and resilience of the farm should be the primary way of caring for and protecting plants.  It is in the interest of the producer to use all biodynamic techniques to protect their crops and increase crop yield. All possible internal preventative biodynamic measures should be taken first, then only in case of proven need may the materials listed below be used (especially for control of fungal attack, pests, and allowable aids on specialised crops).

The materials listed below are allowed but must be prioritised and used with this aim in mind.  

*Where materials are marked with an asterisk – please check local organic requirements to ensure that use is allowed.

It should be kept in mind that use of some materials (e.g. Microfine sulphur, pyrethrum) could possibly endanger predator insect populations.

New materials and methods for plant care and protection may be trialled only with the agreement of the Federation’s Standards Committee based on a country exemption.

If commercial preparations are bought in, care must be taken that they are free from constituents prohibited in this standard and are not produced by transgenic methods.

Details:

Biological agents and technologies:

• Encouragement and use of natural control agents for plant pests (for example: predator populations of mites, parasitic wasps etc.).
• Sterilised male insects
• Insect traps (for example: coloured boards, sticky traps and attractants etc.)
• Pheromones (sex-attractants; attractants in traps and dispensers)
• Mechanical repellents (including: mechanical traps, slug and snail fences etc.)
• Repellents (non-synthetic agents to deter and expel pests) – application only on plant parts not for consumption by humans and animals
• Painting (for example: insect lime etc.)

Surfactants and materials to promote plant health:

• Preparations that promote plant disease resistance, and inhibit pest and diseases – for example:
  • plant preparations (stinging nettle liquid manure, equisetum tea, wormwood tea etc.)
  • propolis
  • milk and milk products
  • homeopathic preparations
• Waterglass* (sodium silicate, potassium silicate)
• Quartz sand, aluminium silicate
• Chitosan
• Additives: Surfactants, wetting aids, emulsifiers, oil
• Additional products approved and published by the International Standards Committee

Agents for use against fungal attack:

• Essential oils from plants
• Plant extracts, if extraction method complies with this standard and the product does not contain any other aids like carriers or preservatives.
• Microorganisms / bacterial preparations
• Sodium chloride
• Wettable sulphur and flowers of sulphur
• Waterglass* (sodium silicate, potassium silicate)
• Potassium bicarbonate*
• Sodium bicarbonate*
• Cerevisane*

For use of copper please see the last section below.

Agents for pest control

• Microorganisms including: viral, fungal and bacterial preparations (for example: Bacillus thuringiensis, Granulose virus)
• Quassia tea
• Terpenes (for example: eugenol, geraniol and thymol)
• Azadirachtin (Neem – insecticide)*
• Oil emulsions (without synthetic chemical insecticides) based on vegetables (all crops).
• Oil emulsions (without synthetic chemical insecticides) based on mineral oil in the case of perennial crops only before flowering (Plants that flower all year are exempt) and only if effective plant oils are not available.
• Pyrethrum extracts and powder under the following circumstances:
  • no synthetic pyrethroids;
  • not for mushroom production;
  • as pest control in storage only if no chemical synergists are included in the formulation;
  • For other uses an exemption is possible, see 7A below.
• Potassium soaps (Soft soap)*, fatty acids
• Gelatine* hydrolysed proteins
• Fe(III) Orthophosphate (Molluscicide)*
• Rock flour*, coffee*
• Maltodextrin
• Anti-coagulant rodenticide or Cholecalceferol (vitamin D3) for use in stables or other housing. (only in closed traps or similar such that predators are not jeopardised)

• Agents for use in stables and on animals: Diatomaceous earth, sticky fly-tapes, etheric oils

Allowable aids on specialised crops, perennial crops and ornamental plants

• Diatomaceous earth*
• Calcium hydroxide
• On perennial crops copper may be used such that the average amount used over 7 years shall not exceed 3 kg/ha/year, preferably with a maximum of 500g/ha/spray. Exemption possible for grapes and hops only – see below.
• On annual crops, copper may be used to counteract extreme fungal pressure on annual crops, only when the following are met:
  • The use does not contradict national requirements and national organic requirements.
  • The amount may not exceed 3 kg of copper/ha/year.
  • The certification organisation collects data as to how much copper is used on which annual crops.
• Sulphur preparations such as Hepar Sulphuris (provided that compliance with the respective organic regulation is given), lime sulphur (fungicide, insecticide, acaricide) – provided that compliance with the respective organic regulation is given.
• Ethylene for flower induction in pineapples, provided that compliance with the respective organic regulation is given.

In temperate climates no tropical or sub-tropical woods are allowed to be used as support stakes for reasons of environmental degradation. Tropical grasses such as bamboo may be used.

The certifying organisation can grant an exemption to use FSC certified tropical hardwood as support stakes.  New stakes must be preserved according to an environmentally friendly process.

Exemption possible – see. below

Scope:​

This section covers the requirements for plant varieties to be labelled as ‘biodynamically bred’.

For details concerning the labelling of biodynamically bred plant varieties please see the Quality section.

General Requirements:​

• Breeding must take place on Demeter certified fields or
• If breding takes place on organic certified fields, the biodynamic preparations must be applied on all fields as follows:
  • one annual application of horn manure (crop appropriate)
  • one annual application of horn silica (crop appropriate)
  • biodynamically prepared compost or cow pat pit (CPP)
• The physical location of breeding and all relevant documentation must be accessible and available for Demeter inspection at all times.
• The development of a new variety is initiated either via intentional or incidental cross-pollination or the mutation of heritable traits and subsequent selection. A minimum of four years of selective breeding under biodynamic conditions, as described under bullet points 1 and 2, is essential.

• The following breeding methods are prohibited:
  • All methods prohibited by the IFOAM standards
  • Hybrid breeding, regardless of production method
  • Double haploidy or polyploidisation
  • Plants produced using cytoplast or protoplast fusion
• The use of hybrids or double haploid varieties as parent lines for the development of new, biodynamically bred varieties is permitted.
• In order to be recognised as a registered plant variety, it is essential that all newly developed biodynamic varieties are registered with the responsible patent office. Only then can the variety (seed) be sold to others.
• In case of a closed production system, the patenting or registration of a new biodynamic variety may not be relevant to the breeder. The respective certifying organisation can nevertheless issue an official recognition of the variety as a “biodynamically bred plant variety”. To receive recognition, an application can be submitted demonstrating that the variety meets the necessary degree of differentiation from other varieties of the same species according to relevant seed and plant breeding or patenting regulations.

Requirements for Conservation Breeding:​

Conservation breeding inherently takes place on certified biodynamic farms, or, as a minimum requirement, on organic certified farms as described in general requirements above.

Documentation Requirements:​

• The first delivery of seed to the farm must be documented. (Delivery slip or shipping invoice/receipt/supplier/quantity/treatments/genetic modification risk analysis)
• A crop plan must show which fields were used for growing and selecting the variety in question. The parent lines of the selected plants must be traceable using invoices or other supporting documents.
• The sale of seed must be documented via a delivery order invoice as required for EU organic inspections. These invoices must state the name of the variety/lot/quantity/treatment of seed/recipient.
• The required documentation makes it possible to track the variety within the crop rotation and trace the development of the variety over the course of multiple generations.

Transparency:​

The development history of a variety includes the following information:

• Variety, cultivar, variety denomination, name of breeder, date, breeding aims
• Source of genetic (parent) material for breeding, description, supplier, first cultivation date, indication whether the parent material is a result of cross-breeding.
• Under which conditions was or is the variety cultivated and selected? State location and cultivation methods.
• What selections methods are/were used? Mass selection (positive or negative): how many individuals from a total of how many are chosen? In case of single plant selection, are plants separated and grown out/reviewed according to individual traits or is a mixture of the prepared seed grown out (Pedigree method versus bulk-population method)? Was the procedure changed at any point over the generations? Were there times during the selection period where unique selection criteria were applied? Were specific testing methods used to support the selection process? Under which conditions did additional trials take place? Are there specific requirements that needed to be fulfilled when the variety was introduced for wider use?
• When was the variety registered with the responsible patent office?
• Description of the process of seed propagation used to produce seed for sale and distribution.
• A current description of the variety: typical characteristics, recommended cultivation methods and other practical guidelines for working with the variety, results of quality analyses.