Fertilizer Labeling

(1) All fertilizer labels shall contain the following information in a readable and conspicuous form. This information shall either appear on the front or back of the package, occupy at least the upper third of a side of the package, or be printed on a tag and attached to the package. For bulk products, this same information shall be delivered in printed form to the purchaser at the time of delivery: (a) Net weight (b) Brand (c) Grade (except when no primary nutrients are claimed) (d) Guaranteed Analysis: percentages shall be shown before the name of the element, and in the following format: 1. Total Nitrogen (N) _________% 2. _______% Ammoniacal Nitrogen 3. _______% Nitrate Nitrogen 4. _______% Water Insoluble Nitrogen 5. _______% Urea Nitrogen 6. _______% Other recognized and determinable forms of nitrogen 7. Available Phosphate (P205) ________% 8. Soluble Potash (K20) _______% 9. Other nutrients as provided for in 330 CMR 15.02(3) (e) Sources of nutrients, when shown on the label, shall be listed below the completed guaranteed analysis statement. (f) Name and address of registrant or licensee. (2) Plant nutrients other than nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, when mentioned on the label shall be guaranteed on an elemental basis. Sources of the elements guaranteed and proof of availability shall be provided to the Department upon request. The minimum percentages which will be allowed for registration are as follows: Element Minimum Percentage Calcium Magnesium Sulfur Boron Chlorine Cobalt Copper Iron Manganese Molybdenum Sodium Zinc (3) Any of the above listed elements which are guaranteed shall appear in the order listed above and immediately following guarantees for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Proposed labels and directions for use of the fertilizer shall be furnished with the application for registration upon request. (4) No fertilizer label shall bear a statement which implies that certain plant nutrients contained in a fertilizer are released slowly over a period of time, unless the slow release components are identified and guaranteed at a level of at least 15% of the total guarantee for that nutrient. The terms "water insoluble", "coated slow release", "slow release", "controlled release", "slowly available water soluble", and "occluded slow release" are accepted as descriptive of these products provided that the manufacturer can show a testing program substantiating the claim. The following types of products may be labeled with slow release properties; (a) water insoluble, such as natural organics, ureaform materials, urea-formaldehyde products, isobutylidene diurea, oxamide, etc; (b) coated slow release, such as sulfur coated urea and other encapsulated soluble fertilizers; (c) occluded slow release, where fertilizers or fertilizer materials are mixed with waxes, resins, or other inert materials and formed into particles; and (d) products containing water soluble nitrogen such as ureaform materials, urea- formaldehyde products, methylenediurea, dimethylenetriurea, dicyanodiabide, etc. (5) The term "percentage" by symbol or word, when used on a fertilizer label shall only represent the amount of individual plant nutrients in relation to the total product by weight. (6) When a plant nutrient guarantee is broken down into the component forms, the percentage for each component shall be shown before the name of the form. EXAMPLE: Total Nitrogen (N)...____% ____% Ammoniacal Nitrogen ____% Nitrate Nitrogen