A1.1 Soil Amendment and Fertilization

The use of the following generic substances is permitted for soil amendments or fertilizers in accordance with their compliance, as to their source, their use according to section 5 of the standards and their adherence to applicable provincial and federal regulations.

Note to the user
No proof of usefulness is required as a prerequisite for the substance’s acceptance. The CARTV assumes no liability in relation to the use of the substances included in this list.

Common Name(s)	Status	Origin and usage annotation
Agar	R	Only authorized for initial mushroom spawn production
Alfalfa meal and pellets	P	See “Plant by-products”
Algae and algae products	P	See “Plant extracts”.
Animal products and by-products from slaughterhouses	P	Meat blood and feather meal. Hoof, horn and bone powders and emulsions. Such products may not be contaminated by any prohibited substances. Substances shall comply with criteria laid out in section 5.5.2 or applied according to conditions required in section 5.4.15.
Ash	P	From plant and animal sources. The burned materials shall not have been treated or combined with substances prohibited by the standards nor originate from agricultural residues.
Basalt	P
Biotite	P
Bone Meal	P
Boron mineral products	R	See “Trace element chelate”. When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, sodium pentaborate and sodium tetraborate (borax) may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6.
Calcium chloride	R	Mined source, to remedy calcium deficiency
Cardboard/paper	P	Non-waxed paper/cardboard that has not been soaked in fungicide or substances not listed in Appendix A - Quebec Permitted Substances List for Organic Production Methods can be used as mulch or raw material for composting. Cardboard/paper that contains coloured ink is prohibited as raw material for composting.
Charcoal	P
Clay (eg. Perlite, Zeolite, Bentonite)	P	Test for possible contaminants (e.g.: heavy metals)
Composting of plant residues	P	Includes plants and plant by-products (including forest residues and gardens sorted at the source, such as cut grass and leaves). Non-organic residues are also permitted.
Copper mineral products	R	See “Trace element chelate”. When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, forms of copper sulfate may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6.
Earthworms	P	Shall not be genetically modified.
Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate)	P	Mined sources, may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6.
Feldspar (KAlSi3O8)	P
Fish products	P	Waste products shall comply with criteria laid out in section 5.5.2 or applied according to conditions required in section 5.4.15.
Glauconite	P
Granite dust	P
Guano bat or bird	P	Shall comply with criteria laid out in section 5.5.2 or applied according to conditions required in section 5.4.15.
Gypsum (calcium sulfate: CaSO4.2H2O)	P	Mined sources, with reasons as outlined in section 5.4.6.
Humus from worms and insects (vermi-compost)	P	Shall demonstrate that worms and insects have not been fed with prohibited substances.
Iron-aluminium rock phosphates (Phospal)	P	Mined sources, with reasons as outlined in section 5.4.6.
Iron mineral products	R	See “Trace element chelate”. When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, forms of iron sulfate may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6.
Kelp meal and extracts	P	See “Plant extracts”
Langbeinite (potassium or magnesium triple sulfate K2Mg2(SO4)3)	P	See “Potassium and magnesium sulfate.”
Lime (e.g. chalk, marl, limestone, phosphate chalk)	P	Mined sources, or from oystershells or eggshells, with reasons as outlined in section 5.4.6.
Magnesite, dolomite CaMg(CO3)2	P	Mined sources, with reasons as outlined in section 5.4.6.
Manganese mineral products	R	See “Trace element chelate”. When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, forms of manganese sulfate may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6.
Manure, (solid and liquid) and compost	P	Shall meet requirements as defined in 5.4
Marine animal waste	P	Shall meet requirements as defined in 5.5.2 et 5.4.15.
Microbial products (Except those resulting from genetic engineering)	P	These include rhizobium bacteria, mycorhizal fungi, yeast and other micro-organisms to be used on or in compost, plants, seeds and soils.
Molasses	P	See “Plant by-products”
Molybdenum mineral products	R	See “Trace element chelate”. When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, forms of sodium molybdate may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6.
Mushroom compost	P	Shall not contain substances prohibited by the standards.
Organic food by-products and textile industry by-products	R	By-products shall not be treated with prohibited substances. Test for the presence of contaminants (heavy metals).
Peat moss	P	Shall not contain prohibited substances (e.g.: wetting agents).
Phosphate rock	P	Mined sources, with reasons as outlined in section 5.4.6.
Plant by-products	P	From wild and cultivated plants in accordance with the standards or without adding or using prohibited substances.
Plant extracts	P	Plant extracts obtained by using water, alcohol or a diluted solution of potassium hydroxide. Uncontaminated by prohibited substances.
Plant residues	P	From wild and cultivated plants in accordance with the standards or without adding or using phytosanitary substances.
Potassium and magnesium sulfate	R	When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, mined sources (e.g. langbeinite), may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6. They shall be obtained by mechanical processes, and not modified by chemical means.
Potassium rock powders, potassium salts extracted from mines (e.g. kainite, sylvinite)	R	Mined sources untainted by prohibited substances, may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6. Cement powders are not permitted.
Potassium sulfate	R	Mined sources to remedy potassium deficiencies.
Pumice	P	Mined sources, with reasons as outlined in section 5.4.6.
Rock powder	P
Sawdust,wood chips and ramial chipped wood	P	Uncontaminated by prohibited substances.
Shell (e.g. egg and oystershells)	P	See “Lime”.
Straw	P	See “Plant residues”.
Sulphur	P	Used to acidify soil.
Trace elements chelate (e.g. boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc)	R	When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, trace elements in chelate form may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6. However only sulphonate, lignin or amino acid based chelates are permitted.
Vermiculite	P
Zinc mineral products	R	See “Trace element chelate”. When organic inputs are insufficient in meeting crop needs, forms of zinc sulfate may be used for reasons outlined in section 5.4.6.

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