2015 New Hampshire Revised Statutes
Title XL - AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Chapter 431 - SOIL CONDITIONERS
Section 431:3 - Definitions.

    431:3 Definitions. – In this subdivision:
    I. "Brand'' means a term, design, or trademark used in connection with one or several grades of fertilizer.
    II. "Bulk fertilizer'' means a fertilizer distributed in a non-packaged form.
    III. "Commissioner'' means the commissioner of agriculture, markets, and food or the commissioner's authorized agent.
    IV. "Deficiency'' means the amount of nutrient found by analysis less than that guaranteed which may result from a lack of nutrient ingredients or from lack of uniformity.
    V. "Distribute'' means to import, consign, manufacture, produce, compound, mix, or blend fertilizer, or to offer for sale, sell, barter, or otherwise supply fertilizer in this state.
    VI. "Distributor'' means any person who distributes.
    VI-a. "Enhanced efficiency fertilizer'' means lawn fertilizer products with characteristics that allow increased plant uptake and reduce potential of nutrient losses to the environment when compared to an appropriate reference product.
    VII. "Fertilizer'' means any substance containing one or more recognized plant nutrients which is used for its plant nutrient content and which 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 other products exempted by rule by the commissioner. "Fertilizer'' shall not include any horticultural growing medium as defined in RSA 433-A:3, VI.
    VIII. "Fertilizer material'' means a fertilizer which:
       (a) Contains important quantities of no more than one of the following primary plant nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K); or
       (b) Has 85 percent or more of its plant nutrient content present in the form of a single chemical compound; or
       (c) Is derived from a plant or animal residue or byproduct or natural material deposit which has been processed in such a way that its content of plant nutrients has not been materially changed except by purification and concentration.
    IX. "Grade'' means the percentage of total nitrogen, available phosphate, and soluble potash stated in whole numbers in the same terms, order, and percentages as in the guaranteed analysis, provided that:
       (a) Specialty fertilizers may be guaranteed in fractional units of less than one percent of total nitrogen, available phosphate, and soluble potash.
       (b) Fertilizer materials, bone meal, manures, and similar materials may be guaranteed in fractional units.
    X. "Guaranteed analysis'' means the minimum percentage by weight of plant nutrients claimed to be present in a fertilizer.
    XI. "Investigational allowance'' means an allowance for variations inherent in the taking, preparation, and analysis of an official sample of fertilizer.
    XII. "Label'' means the display of all written, printed, or graphic matter, upon the immediate container, or a statement accompanying a fertilizer.
    XIII. "Labeling'' means all written, printed, or graphic matter, upon or accompanying any fertilizer, or advertisements, brochures, posters, television and radio announcements used in promoting the sale of such fertilizer.
    XIV. "Mixed fertilizer'' means a fertilizer containing any combination or mixture of fertilizer materials.
    XIV-a. "Natural inorganic fertilizer'' means a mineral nutrient source that exists in or is produced by nature and may be altered from its original state only by physical manipulation.
    XIV-b. "Natural organic turf fertilizer'' means materials derived from either plant or animal products containing one or more elements other than carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen which are essential for plant growth. These materials may be subject to biological degradation processes under normal conditions of aging, rainfall, sun-curing, air drying, composting, rotting, enzymatic, or anaerobic/aerobic bacterial action, or any combination of these. These materials shall not be mixed with synthetic materials or changed in any physical or chemical manner from their initial state except by manipulations such as drying, cooking, chopping, grinding, shredding, hydrolysis, or pelleting. These products may be supplemented with natural inorganic fertilizers not containing phosphorus.
    XV. "Official sample'' means any sample of fertilizer taken by the commissioner and designated as "official'' by the commissioner.
    XVI. "Percent'' or "percentage'' means the percentage by weight.
    XVII. "Person'' means any individual, firm, company, partnership, corporation, association, cooperative, business trust, or legal entity of any kind.
    XVIII. "Primary nutrient'' means nitrogen, available phosphate, and soluble potash.
    XIX. "Registrant'' means the person who registers fertilizer under the provisions of this subdivision.
    XX. "Specialty fertilizer'' means a fertilizer distributed for non-farm use.
    XXI. "Ton'' means a net weight of 2,000 pounds avoirdupois.
    XXII. "Turf'' or "lawn'' means non-agricultural land planted in closely mowed, managed grasses except golf courses, parks, athletic fields, and sod farms.

Source. 1985, 72:1. 1995, 130:5; 233:1. 1997, 141:3, eff. Jan. 1, 1998. 2013, 42:2-4, eff. Jan. 1, 2014.