Md. Code Regs. 15.18.03.03

Current through Register Vol. 52, No. 1, January 10, 2025

Section 15.18.03.03 - Label

A. Commercial Fertilizer Label. Each brand and grade of commercial fertilizer, except a custom-mix fertilizer, distributed in the State shall be accompanied by a conspicuous and legible label, or by a printed statement if the fertilizer is distributed in bulk, having the following information:

(1) Net weight;

(2) Brand and grade under which the commercial fertilizer is distributed;

(3) Guaranteed analysis showing the minimum percentage of every plant nutrient claimed to be contained in the fertilizer, as follows:

(a) Total nitrogen (N) __ percent,

(b) Available phosphate (P₂O₅) __ percent,

(c) Soluble potash (K₂O) __ percent;

(4) Guarantees of secondary plant nutrients or micronutrients as provided in Regulation .02I of this chapter;

(5) Any other guarantee as provided in Regulation .02G-J of this chapter;

(6) Manufacturer's or registrant's name and address, including street address, city, state, and zip code; and

(7) Lot number, if available.

B. Soil Conditioner Label. Each brand and grade of soil conditioner distributed in the State shall be accompanied by a conspicuous and legible label, or by a printed statement if the soil conditioner is distributed in bulk, having the following information:

(1) Net content;

(2) Brand;

(3) Composition;

(4) Any other guarantee as provided in Regulation .02G-J of this chapter; and

(5) Manufacturer's or registrant's name and address, including street address, city, state, and zip code.

C. Microorganism Label. Each brand and grade of microorganism registered as a soil conditioner or commercial fertilizer shall be accompanied by a legible label having the following information:

(1) Brand;

(2) Guaranteed analysis showing the type of bacteria, including genus and species, and the minimum number of viable bacteria per gram of product;

(3) Guarantee of a secondary plant nutrient as provided in Regulation .02J of this chapter;

(4) Any other guarantees provided in Regulation .02H and I of this chapter;

(5) Manufacturer's or registrant's name and address, including street address, city, state, and zip code; and

(6) Lot number, if available.

D. Fertilizer-Pesticide Label. Each brand and grade of fertilizer-pesticide distributed as a commercial fertilizer in the State shall be accompanied by a conspicuous and legible label, or by a printed statement if the fertilizer-pesticide product is distributed in bulk, having the following information:

(1) Net weight;

(2) Brand and grade;

(3) Guaranteed analysis showing the minimum percentage of each plant nutrient claimed to be contained in the fertilizer, as follows:

(a) Total nitrogen (N) __ percent,

(b) Available phosphate (P₂O₅) __ percent,

(c) Soluble potash (K₂O) __ percent;

(4) Pesticide active ingredient or ingredients and guarantee or guarantees;

(5) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pesticide product registration number;

(6) Lot number; and

(7) Manufacturer's or registrant's name and address, including city, state, and zip code.

E. Placement of Label on Package. A registrant shall place at the following location on the product package the label of each commercial fertilizer or soil conditioner:

(1) On tags affixed to the end of the package; or

(2) Directly on the package, and for a bag containing 50 pounds or more of the product, the grade shall be legible and placed on the face of the package.

F. Additional Requirement for Specialty Fertilizer Label.

(1) Each brand and grade of specialty fertilizer distributed in the State shall be accompanied by a legible label placed on either the face of the container or on the upper 1/3 side of the container.

(2) A specialty fertilizer label shall include information required for commercial fertilizer labels provided by Regulation .03A of this chapter.

G. Requirements for Custom-Mix Fertilizer Label. Each lot of fertilizer mixed or blended according to a formula furnished by the purchaser shall be marked plainly or tagged with the words "custom-mix", "buyer's mixture", or "mixed-to-order", and shall be accompanied by a shipping statement or label having the following information:

(1) Net weight;

(2) Guaranteed analysis showing the minimum percentage of each plant nutrient claimed to be contained in the fertilizer; and

(3) Manufacturer's name and address, including street address, city, state, and zip code.

Md. Code Regs. 15.18.03.03