(a)  Each brand and grade of commercial fertilizer shall be registered by the manufacturer or by that person whose name appears upon the label before being distributed in this state. The application for registration shall be submitted to the director on a form furnished by the director, and shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) per brand or grade registered.

(1)  All revenues received from registration fees shall be deposited as general revenues.

(2)  All applications for registration shall be accompanied by a label or true copy of the label.

(3)  Upon approval by the director, a copy of the registration shall be furnished to the applicant.

(4)  All registrations expire on December 31 of each year.

(5)  The application shall include the following information:

(i)  The brand and grade;

(ii)  The guaranteed analysis; and

(iii)  The name and address of the registrant.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-4

  • Brand: means a term, design, or trademark used in connection with one or several grades of commercial fertilizer. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
  • Commercial fertilizer: means any substance containing one or more recognized plant nutrient(s) that is used for its plant nutrient content and that is designed for use or claimed to have value in promoting plant growth, except unmanipulated animal and vegetable manures, marl, lime, limestone, wood ashes and gypsum, and other products exempted by regulation of the director. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
  • Director: means director of the department of environmental management or his or her authorized agent. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
  • Distributor: means any person who imports, consigns, manufactures, produces, compounds, mixes, or blends commercial fertilizer, or who offers for sale, sells, barters, or otherwise supplies commercial fertilizer in this state. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
  • Grade: means the percentage of total nitrogen, available phosphorus or phosphoric acid, and soluble potassium or soluble potash stated in whole numbers in the same terms, order, and percentages as in the guaranteed analysis. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
  • Guaranteed analysis: means :

    (i)  Until the director prescribes the alternative form of guaranteed analysis in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (7)(ii) of this section, the term "guaranteed analysis" shall mean the minimum percentage of plant nutrients claimed in the following order and form:

    (A)         Total Nitrogen (N). See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3

  • Label: means the display of all written, printed, or graphic matter upon the immediate container or statement accompanying a commercial fertilizer. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
  • Person: includes individual, partnership, association, firm, and corporation. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
  • Registrant: means the person who registers commercial fertilizer under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3

(b)  A distributor is not required to register any commercial fertilizer that is already registered under this chapter by another person, providing the label does not differ in any respect.

(c)  A distributor is not required to register each grade of commercial fertilizer formulated according to specifications that are furnished by a consumer prior to mixing.

(d)  The plant nutrient content of each and every brand and grade of commercial fertilizer must remain uniform for the period of registration.

History of Section.
P.L. 1977, ch. 168, § 2; P.L. 1989, ch. 349, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 133, art. 22, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 40, § 1; P.L. 2021, ch. 162, art. 7, § 1, effective July 1, 2021.