Utah Admin. Code 68-3-4

Current through Bulletin 2025-01, January 1, 2025

Section R68-3-4 - Product Labeling

(1) When any reference is made on the label, labeling, or graphic material of a fertilizer or soil amendment to "trace elements," "minor elements," "secondary elements," "plant foods," or similar generalized terms, each individual plant food to which the term refers shall be listed on the label.

(2) Other plant nutrients, when mentioned in any form or manner, shall be registered and shall be guaranteed.

(a) Each guarantee shall be made on the elemental basis.

(b) Sources of the elements guaranteed and proof of availability shall be provided to the department upon request.

(c) Except guarantees for those water soluble nutrients labeled for ready to use foliar fertilizers, ready to use specialty liquid fertilizers, hydroponic or continuous liquid feed programs and guarantees for potting, garden and lawn soils, the minimum percentages which will be accepted for registration are:

TABLE
Element	Minimum Concentration %
Calcium (Ca)	1.0000
Magnesium (Mg)	0.5000
Sulfur (S)	1.0000
Boron (B)	0.0200
Chlorine (Cl)	0.1000
Cobalt (Co)	0.0005
Copper (Cu)	0.0500
Iron (Fe)	0.1000
Manganese (Mn)	0.0500
Molybdenum (Mo)	0.0005
Nickel (Ni)	0.0010
Sodium (Na)	0.1000
Zince (Zn)	0.0500
Guarantees or claims for the plant nutrients listed in the Table are the only ones that will be accepted. Each proposed label and directions for the use of the fertilizer shall be furnished with the application for registration upon request. Any of the elements listed in the Table that are guaranteed shall appear in the order listed immediately following guarantees for the primary nutrients of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash.

(3) Slowly released plant nutrients.

(a) No fertilizer label shall bear a statement that implies that certain plant nutrients contained in a fertilizer are released slowly over a period, unless each slow release component is identified and guaranteed at a level of at least 15% of the total guarantee for that nutrient.

(b) Types of products with slow release properties recognized are:

(i) water insoluble, including natural organics, ureaform materials, urea-formaledhyde products, isobutylidene diurea oxamine;

(ii) coated slow release, including sulfur coated urea and other encapsulated soluble fertilizers;

(iii) occluded slow release where fertilizers or fertilizer materials are mixed with waxes, resins, or other inert materials and formed into particles; and

(iv) products containing water soluble nitrogen, including ureaform materials, urea-formaldehyde products, methylene urea (MDU), dimethylentriurea (DMTU), and dicyanodiamide (DCD).

(c) 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.

(d) The department may require evidence and an acceptable testing procedure to substantiate each claim.

(4) Pesticide may be added to registered fertilizer or soil amendment, provided:

(a) the fertilizer, soil amendment, and pesticide is registered; and

(b) each fertilizer or soil amendment pesticide mixture has a label showing the information required in this rule and in Section 4-14-104.

(5) Format exemptions. The department may exempt a fertilizer from any guaranteed analysis format requirement under Section 4-13-104 if the person requesting the exemption demonstrates the following to the department's satisfaction:

(a) another state that has authorized sale of the fertilizer has a conflicting statute or regulation;

(b) the format exemption will reconcile the conflict pursuant to Section 4-13-104;

(c) the format exemption will not affect, to the detriment of purchasers in this state, any claim or disclosure related to product performance, use, purpose, efficacy, or active ingredients;

(d) the format exemption will not cause the product label to be false, deceptive, or misleading in any respect;

(e) the format required by the other state satisfies the objectives of Section 4-13-104; or

(f) the format required by the other state does not violate applicable labeling requirements, if any, pursuant to Section 4-13-104.

Utah Admin. Code R68-3-4

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2020-23, effective 11/16/2020

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2022-12, effective 6/8/2022