This document specifies a horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms that are able to grow and form colonies in a solid medium after anaerobic incubation at 30 °C.

The method applies to microbial plant biostimulants, except those composed of aerobic bacteria.

This method does not apply to the microbiological monitoring of the environment in which microbial plant biostimulants are manufactured.

No information about potential human pathogens can be inferred from anaerobic plate counts.

This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations1, the user decides which standard to apply.