Code of Maine Rules › 01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY › 001 - AGRICULTURE - GENERAL › Chapter 350 - REGULATIONS UNDER THE MAINE COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER LAW › Section 001-350-1 - DEFINITIONS

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1. "Biosolids" means a primary organic solid
				material produced by wastewater treatment processes that can be beneficially
				recycled for its plant nutrient content and soil amending characteristics.
				Biosolids also include "Sludge" as defined in 38 M.R.S.
				§1303-C(28-A).
2. "Coated Slow
				Release Fertilizer" means a product containing sources of water soluble
				nutrients, release of which in the soil is controlled by a coating applied to
				the fertilizer.
3. "Commercial
				Value Found" means the number determined by the sum obtained from adding the
				percentage of Total Nitrogen (N), Available Phosphate
				(P2O5) and Soluble Potash
				(K2O).
4.
				"Commercial Value Guaranteed" means the number determined by the sum obtained
				from adding the percentage guaranteed of Total Nitrogen, Available Phosphate
				(P2O5) and Soluble Potash
				(K2O).
5.
				"Fertilizer Grade" means the minimum guarantee of available plant food
				expressed in terms of total Nitrogen (not ammonia), Available Phosphate and
				Soluble Potash. The values for Total Nitrogen (N), Available Phosphate
				(P2O5) and Soluble Potash
				(K2O), expressed as the grade must coincide with the
				guaranteed analysis statement. Only one set of values may be used in the grade
				designation and with the exception of Specialty Fertilizer, the grade must be
				expressed in whole numbers.
6.
				"Guarantee" means Guaranteed Analysis.
7. "Guaranteed Analysis" means the minimum
				percentage of Total Nitrogen (N), available Phosphate (expressed as percent
				P2O5), water soluble Potassium
				(expressed as percent K2O) and other nutrients present
				in quantities that conform to Chapter 350 section III.
8. "Investigation Allowance" means an
				allowance for variations inherent in the taking, preparation and analysis of an
				official sample of fertilizer.
9.
				"Lot" means an identifiable quantity of fertilizer that can be sampled
				officially according to the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC)
				International procedures, up to and including a freight car load or 50 tons
				maximum, or that amount contained in a single vehicle, or that amount delivered
				under a single invoice.
10.
				"Overall Index Value" means the value obtained from the calculation:
				(Commercial Value Found) x 100/(Commercial Value Guaranteed).
11. "Primary Nutrients" means the following
				plant foods: Nitrogen (N); Available Phosphate
				(P2O5); and Soluble Potash
				(K2O).
12.
				"Secondary and Micro Plant Nutrients" means those nutrients, other than primary
				nutrients, that are essential for the normal growth of plants and that may need
				to be added to the growth medium. Secondary plant nutrients include calcium,
				magnesium, sulfur, molybdenum, nickel, sodium and zinc.
13. "Slow release" or "controlled release"
				means a fertilizer containing a plant nutrient in a form which delays its
				availability for plant uptake and use after application, or which extends its
				availability to the plant significantly longer than a reference "rapidly
				available nutrient fertilizer" such as ammonium nitrate or urea, ammonium
				phosphate, or potassium chloride. Such delay of initial availability or
				extended time of continued availability may occur by a variety of mechanisms.
				These mechanisms may include controlled water solubility of the material (by
				semi permeable coatings, occlusion, or by inherent water insolubility of
				polymers, natural nitrogenous organics, protein materials, or other chemical
				forms), by slow hydrolysis of water soluble low molecular weight compounds, or
				by other means.
14. "Specialty
				Fertilizer" means a fertilizer that is distributed for non-farm use. Specialty
				fertilizers may be guaranteed in fractional units of less than one percent of
				total nitrogen, available phosphate, and soluble potash: provided, further,
				that fertilizer materials, bone meal, manures, and similar materials may be
				guaranteed in fractional units.
15.
				"Unit" means twenty (20) pounds of plant food or one percent (1%) of a
				ton.
16. "Waste Material" means
				material defined as "hazardous matter", "hazardous substance", "hazardous
				waste", "residual", "septage" or "solid waste" in federal, state and local
				laws, including, but not limited to the Maine Hazardous Waste, Septage and
				Solid Waste Management Act, 38 M.R.S. § 1301
et seq.
; the
				Maine Hazardous Matter Control Act, 38 M.R.S. § 1317
et
				seq.
; and the Maine Uncontrolled Hazardous Substance Sites Law, 38
				M.R.S. § 1361
et seq.
; as well as the rules promulgated
				under these statutes.