Crop Production Materials

Crop Production Materials are classified by OMRI according to the following uses and applications:

• CF: Crop Fertilizers, and Soil Amendments
• CP: Crop Pest, Weed and Disease Control
• CT: Crop Management Tools and Production Aids

Crop Fertilizers (CF) contain one or more recognized plant nutrients. Used primarily for their plant nutrient content, they may be applied to the soil or to the foilage of plants. They include compost, animal manures, blended fertilizers, mined minerals, micronutrients, blood/bone meals, and plant extracts that make plant nutrient claims. Soil amendments include liming/acidifcation materials, worm castings, peat moss, mulch, and any other input that is applied as a soil conditioner. Use of fertilizers and soil amendments must meet the NOP Rule Section 205.203 management practice standards.

Crop pest, weed, and disease control (CP) substances are used as pesticides for plant disease control, invertebrate pest control, vertebrate pest control, and weed control or as plant growth regulators. They may be applied to either plants or soil unless restrictions specify otherwise. Substances that are allowed for only disease control may not be used for insect or weed control. Most produces sold with pesticide or growth regulator claims in the United States must be registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency unless they are exempt from registration. See the GML listings for Inerts for restrictions on their use in formulated brand name products. Use of crop pest, weed, and disease materials must meet the NOP Rule Section 205.206 management practice standards.

Crop management tools and production aids (CT) include inputs that do not provide a recognized plant nutrient, soil conditioning, or crop protection function. This group includes adjuvants, equipment cleaners, insect traps, compost inoculants, and plant extracts without nutrient or pest control claims. Many of these products are non-synthetic and, therefore, are not included on the National List. In cases where their use is not specifically addressed in the NOP Rule, the provisions of Section 205.105 apply a general allowance of non-synthetic substances, except for those produced by excluded methods or with ionizing radiation and sewage sludge.

Crop production materials have one of the following OMRI Status designations:

• Allowed (A) substances include non-synthetic materials that are not specifically prohibited by NOP Rule Section 205.602 and synthetic materials that are specifically allowed by Section 205.601. The OMRI Allowed status indicates that these materials are not subject to restrictions that limit their use.
   
• Restricted (R) substances are allowed in organic production subject to NOP Rule use restrictions. Materials that are "Allowed with Restrictions" include substances subject to the following regulations:
  1. soil fertility and crop nutrient management prectice standards (§205.203)
  2. crop, pest, weed and disease management practice standards (§205.206)
  3. specific annotations detailed in the National List sections for allowed synthetic substances (§205.601)
  Otherwise prohibited non-synthetic substances for which there are exceptions (§205.602) are also designated with a Restricted status to indicate thier special use limitations.
   
• Prohibited (P) substances in crop production are generally defined in NOP Rule Section 205.105. This group includes synthetic substances that are not specifically listed in Section 205.602 and non-synthetic substances that are specifically prohibited in Section 205.602.