DLG APPROVED: Simply good. For the Farmer.

New quality mark released by DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs. Means a better structure of quality marks, with only one test label for agricultural technology and farm inputs. DLG approval possible as a full test for the complete product, or for a single criteria

The Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs of the German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft, DLG) will release a new quality mark at the beginning of next year. The new label links the tradition of the DLG-approval of the past years and the advantages of the DLG Signum Test and DLG Fokus Test marks.

“In addition to the new name ‘DLG APPROVED’ and the new design, we simplified our structure of quality marks and raised information density within the test label in one go. Thus, DLG-confirmed quality will be easier to spot for the farmer,” Hubertus Paetow, chair of DLG’s Test Center, said, summarizing the reasons for the change.

A recent survey of users reinforced that the quality marks awarded by the DLG Test Center stand for the highest, as well as independently and impartially proven, product quality.

“We’ll extend the practitioner-confirmed best practice to have test criteria of practical relevance selected and test results evaluated by independent testers,” Paetow added. “Needless to say, previously published test reports and awarded quality labels remain valid, but manufacturers can switch labels immediately, if desired.”

Key information already in the test label

The quality mark’s new and modern design relies on the same basis for all label variants. It merges the former labels DLG Signum Test, DLG Fokus Test, DLG ISOBUSconform and DLG ISOagriNETconform, and integrates the DLG-PowerMix sign for tractors. Furthermore, the key information for the farmer can be understood at a glance, because within the gold medal and in the lateral flag, supplementary information on the product, scope of the test and, in particular, the number of the correspondent test report, are specified. Thus, it is easily recognizable if the test conducted was either a full test, and therefore DLG APPROVED for the whole product, or DLG APPROVED in single criteria.

Shortcut from quality mark to test report

By using the number of the corresponding test report from the lateral flag of the test label and the address of DLG’s website from the gold medal, the detailed results of the DLG test can be found and downloaded in a few mouse clicks, in a very simple way.

Topicality at a glance

Any DLG approval in the field of agricultural engineering products or machinery runtime carries a time limitation of five years, therefore the awarding year is also imprinted in the gold medal. If product manufacturing is continued without changes, the manufacturer can apply for a run-time limit extension of another five years at a time.

In the case of farm input tests, the obligations for independent long-term product quality monitoring remain as is. To achieve this, trained samplers annually collect unannounced specimens at the plant, at supplier’s premises or on farms to be further analyzed by DLG experts.

The DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs

The DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs at Groß-Umstadt sets the benchmark for tested agricultural technology and farm inputs, and is the leading provider of testing and certification services for independent technology tests. With the latest measurement technology and practical testing methods, the DLG’s test engineers carry out testing of both product developments and innovations.

As an EU-notified test laboratory with multiple accreditations, the DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs provides farmers and practitioners with important information and decision-making aids, in the form of its recognized technology tests and DLG tests, to assist in the planning of investments in agricultural technologies and farm inputs.