Fertilisers for organic farming: what has changed under the new Decree of 17 January 2017.

Fertilisers for organic farming: what has changed under the new Decree of 17 January 2017.

17 January 2017 is an important date for the world of organic farming.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has in fact published a new decree updating the official list of fertilisers for organic farming.

In particular, this new Ministerial Decree updates Annexes 6 and 13 of Legislative Decree No. 75 of 29 April 2010, concerning the “Reorganisation and Revision of the regulations on fertilisers, pursuant to Article 13 of Law No. 88 of 7 July 2009”.

Let’s take a look together at what this regulatory update specifically entails: how the list of authorised fertilisers has changed, which substances are prohibited, and what information is available to operators and farmers to help them make more informed choices when purchasing products that can be used to fertilise organic crops.

New fertilisers permitted in organic farming.

The first change introduced by the new legislation concerns the origin of the microorganisms that make up the fertilisers which may be used in the organic cultivation of one’s own land.

In accordance with the relevant European legislation on organic production, it is no longer possible to use fertilisers containing the micro-nutrients specified in Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 if these are produced from salts containing macro-nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

The following have been added to the current list of fertilising products permitted in organic farming:

• Domestic fertilisers, such as vegetable digestate, which is produced by mixing plant matter after it has undergone an anaerobic fermentation or composting process for the production of biogas;
• Soil conditioners, namely zeolites, provided they are of entirely natural origin and have not been enriched with chemicals;
• Growing media, whether basic or mixed, serve to provide anchorage for the roots and to retain water and other nutrients. Artificial manure, rock wool, lignite and polyurethane foams are excluded from this category;
• Products with Specific Actions, such as alfalfa-based protein hydrolysate, enzymatically hydrolysed Fabaceae, seaweed cream filtrate, seaweed cream filtrate solution and nitrogen-rich fluid extract derived from Macrocystis integrifolia seaweed.

It should also be noted that any of the fertilisers permitted in organic farming must be used when there are specific nutritional requirements of the plant, namely when:

• It is not possible to make use of other agronomic practices;
• It is not possible to obtain sufficient natural resources from within the cropping systems.

New fertiliser products, new labelling requirements.

The exclusion of certain products on the basis of the micro-organisms they contain has made it necessary to introduce new labelling requirements.

In particular, Annex 13 sets out the ‘Designations of the types of fertilisers permitted in organic farming’: from now on, the label of every product must specify the type of salt from which the microelement listed as the main component of the organic fertiliser is derived.

In addition, the label must list all the raw materials used and any additional requirements.

The Obligation to Dispose of Stock.

Modificare ed integrare le etichette dei concimi per agricoltura biologica non è sufficiente, occore anche smaltire le scorte di quei prodotti esistenti.

Within 12 months, industry professionals must dispose of their stock of products based on mixtures of microelements, including simple salts, derived from:

• Nitrate;
• Phosphorus;
• A bit of both.

If the stock has not been disposed of by this deadline, the products are no longer marketable.

However, this aspect seems somewhat convoluted, which is why we are still awaiting the official interpretation from the trade associations regarding the Ministry’s own provisions.

A Fertiliser Register that can be consulted at any time via the National Agricultural Information System (SIAN).

It is practically impossible to remember exactly which fertilisers are permitted by law for organic farming.

For this reason, the National Agricultural Information System (SIAN) has created this section where producers, growers, inspection bodies and technical advisers can consult the Fertiliser Register and find all the information they need.

In particular, searches can be carried out using three different criteria:

1. By manufacturer;
2. By type designation;
3. By trade name.

Alternatively, you can print out the Register itself; you can also choose between ‘conventional use’ and ‘organic use’.

If, for example, you choose to search by manufacturer of fertilisers intended for organic use, you will be shown a list of all the products that company has registered.

Furthermore, you can find out the specific technical specifications for each product.

The tool provided by SIAN is undoubtedly very useful and easy to use; however, there are some products which, as a result of the new legislation, are still awaiting reclassification.

For this reason, once you have identified the product you are interested in, it is always a good idea to carry out further research to confirm your choice.

Specifically, I would advise you to check each time which components of the fertiliser are listed in Annex 1 to Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 and to verify, again with reference to this legislation, the prescribed conditions of use and the technical assessments regarding the use of that particular product.

It is the responsibility of organic operators listed in the Register of Manufacturers to apply the organic method in full and to take all necessary precautions to ensure that fertilisers for organic farming placed on the market comply with the relevant standard.