Which materials are excluded from the definition of commercial fertilizers?

• A. Lime, limestone, marl, unground bone, water, residuals from farm products, and manure from certain livestock operations
• B. Lime and limestone only
• C. Water and manure
• D. Ground bone and water

Answer: (A)

In regulating fertilizers, a product must be a marketed fertilizer with guaranteed plant nutrients. Some materials don’t meet that definition because they’re used as soil amendments, carriers, or waste/by-products rather than as nutrient-supplying fertilizer products. Lime, limestone, and marl are liming materials; they mainly adjust soil pH and supply calcium, not as a typical fertilizer product with N-P-K guarantees. Ungrounded bone is a raw material rather than a processed fertilizer product. Water is simply a carrier with no nutrient content. Residuals from farm products are by-products not sold as fertilizers, and manure from certain livestock operations is treated as a waste product with separate regulatory terms. Because these items aren’t defined as commercial fertilizers, they’re excluded from that definition.