The Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) offers various types of voluntary tests with different scopes. The JKI enters the successfully tested plant protection equipment or equipment parts in the so-called descriptive list. The devices listed there fulfill the legal requirements of the Plant Protection Act.

Users, for example from agriculture or horticulture, can use the descriptive list to find out, among other things, which plant protection equipment they are allowed to use to apply certain plant protection products that require approval. For manufacturers, voluntary testing is important for the EU-wide sale of their equipment, among other things.

The JKI offers these voluntary tests:

• Testing for compliance with the requirements of the Plant Protection Act: In a document check, the JKI checks documents such as instructions for use, description sheets or technical information for completeness and plausibility. A visual inspection extends the document check to include a visual inspection of the device (without technical measurements). Successful testing can be helpful for the CE declaration of conformity for the EU-wide distribution of your product.
• Testing for JKI recognition: The JKI test seal "Officially tested and recognized" certifies that your plant protection product has properties that go beyond the legally required minimum standard. Recognition includes technical tests in JKI test stands. Tests in practical use are carried out by the plant protection authorities of the federal states.
• Additional extension of the test for entry of loss reduction in the descriptive list in accordance with the Plant Protection Act: Plant protection equipment that has already undergone the approval procedure can also be tested for drift reduction or savings of plant protection products. These properties are important in practice so that, for example, certain crop protection products can be used with your device in accordance with the application regulations for crop protection products.