Indiana law sets rules for crop fertilizer use and storage

People applying fertilizer for crops must make and follow an application plan and obey limits on where they apply it. The rules cover people who use or distribute fertilizer to produce agricultural crops. The chapter does not cover a person who uses or distributes less than 10 cubic yards or 4,000 gallons of fertilizer material in a calendar year. Stricter requirements for certain permitted or confined feeding operations still apply. These provisions take effect July 1, 2026.

Covered fertilizer use and distribution must be handled by licensed or certified people, or trained employees working under a certified applicator. The rules cover fertilizer used for hire on another person's land to grow crops, organic fertilizer from confined feeding operations used to grow crops, and fertilizer distributed directly to those covered users. A trained employee must receive training approved by the state chemist, and one certified applicator may supervise no more than 10 trained employees. Exemptions include small amounts of organic fertilizer from a confined feeding operation, compliant use of specified materials, and distribution of inorganic fertilizer to retail facilities. These provisions take effect July 1, 2026.

Operators of fertilizer storage facilities must use and maintain suitable containers and barriers to limit leaks and spills. These provisions cover bulk fertilizer storage facilities, their containers and equipment, and loading and unloading areas. Underground or lined pit storage is barred, with exceptions for specified stainless steel containers or state-approved containers with a liner and groundwater monitoring. Loading and unloading areas must contain spills, but the area requirements do not apply to mobile containers used to serve field operations at a field unloading site. These provisions take effect July 1, 2026.

People distributing covered manure-based fertilizer must register products and follow sales reporting, labeling, and storage rules; processed manure storage operators must meet design, inspection, and spill-response requirements. The distribution rules apply to the specified manure-based fertilizer; the storage rules apply to processed manure storage structures. The distribution rules cover bulk manure-based fertilizer sold with a guaranteed analysis, with nitrogen below 5%, and with combined nitrogen, phosphate, and potash below 10%. An alternative storage design requires prior state chemist approval and proof that it provides equal or greater environmental protection. These provisions take effect July 1, 2026.