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T-4-123 – Requirements for no (zero) and low phosphate lawn / turf fertilizers under the Fertilizers Act and Regulations

1. Purpose

No (zero) phosphate fertilizer means a fertilizer intended for application to lawns and turf that has a grade label of 0% phosphate and an analytical result not more than 0.69% of available phosphoric acid (P2O5).

The purpose of this document is to describe the labelling requirements and guaranteed nutrient tolerances for no (zero) and low phosphate fertilizers, intended for use on lawns and turf. This "no" and "low" phosphate policy ensures that:

2. Registration and general labelling requirements

A low phosphate fertilizer means any fertilizer intended for application to lawns and turf that has a label grade above 0% and below 3% phosphate, and an analytical result greater than 0.70%, but not in excess of 3.3% available phosphoric acid (P2O5) by weight.

For guidance on registration requirements (information and data requirements, safety data package, submission content and layout and associated fees), consult the Guide to Submitting Applications for Registration under the Fertilizers Act. Labelling requirements which also apply to phosphate fertilizers for lawn and turf are outlined in Trade Memorandum T-4-130 – Labeling requirements for fertilizers and supplements.

3. Requirements specific to fertilizers represented as no phosphate fertilizers for lawn and turf

3.1 Nutrient guarantee

To be represented as a no phosphate fertilizer or similar designation, a lawn or turf fertilizer must have less than or equal to 0.69% available phosphoric acid (P2O5) by weight, substantiated by analytical results. A lawn/turf fertilizer with an analytical result greater than or equal to 0.70% available phosphoric acid (P2O5) will not be permitted to use the designation of a no phosphate fertilizer on the product label.

3.2 Directions for use

No (zero) or low phosphate fertilizers do not provide the phosphate that new lawns or turf (less than 2 years old) require to support healthy growth and development. In the absence of a mature root system, nutrients that are subsequently applied are more prone to loss to the environment through erosion, run-off and leaching.

Directions for use on the product label of a no phosphate fertilizer must either include a statement such as "this product may not provide all nutrients required and should be used as part of a complete fertilization program, based on soil testing", or adhere to the following conditions:

4. Requirements specific to fertilizers represented as low phosphate fertilizers for lawn and turf

4.1 Nutrient guarantee

To be represented as a low phosphate fertilizer or similar designation, a lawn or turf fertilizer must have a label grade above 0% and below 3% phosphate and a minimum analytical result of 0.7% but not in excess of 3.3% available phosphoric acid (P2O5) by weight. A lawn/turf fertilizer with a grade greater than 3% phosphate, or an analytical result above 3.3% available phosphoric acid (P2O5) will not be permitted to use the designation of a low phosphate fertilizer on the product label.

The lower limit for an available phosphoric acid guarantee in a low phosphate lawn/turf fertilizer is 0.3% below the grade or guarantee. The upper limit in a low phosphate lawn/turf fertilizer is 0.69% above the grade or guarantee. These analytical tolerances and examples are captured in Table 1 and Table 2 below.

Table 1: Permissible analytical variance in available phosphate (P2O5) for low phosphate fertilizers
(P2O5 Guarantee/
phosphate grade
Lower limit Upper limit
>0% – 2.6% -0.3% +0.69%
2.61% – 3% -0.3% +0.69%, with an absolute upper limit of 3.3%
Table 2: Examples of available phosphate (P2O5) tolerances for low phosphate fertilizers
(P2O5 Guarantee/ phosphate grade Lower limit Upper limit Permissible analytical result
1% 0.7 1.69 0.7 – 1.69%
2% 1.7 2.69 1.7 – 2.69%
3% 2.7 3.3 2.7 – 3.3%

4.2 Directions for use

The directions for a single application of a low phosphate fertilizer product cannot exceed 0.125 kg available phosphoric acid (P2O5) per 100 m2and directions for annual rate of application of the product cannot exceed 0.250 kg available phosphoric acid (P2O5) per 100 m2.

Additionally, the directions for use must either include a statement such as "this product may not provide all nutrients required and should be used as part of a complete fertilization program, based on soil testing", or adhere to the following conditions:

5. Contact information

Fertilizer Safety Section
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Phone: 1-855-212-7695
Email: cfia.paso-bpdpm.acia@inspection.gc.ca

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