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The following are lists containing some of commonly used substances that are allowed, restricted and prohibited in the CNG Program. This list is not exhaustive, but is meant to address some common questions.
Because certain substances are allowed for particular uses, but not others, this list is organized by use: Fertility and Soil Amendments, Plant Pests and Diseases, Weed Control, Livestock External Parasiticides, Livestock Feed Additives, and Livestock Health. (Download content as PDF.)
NOTE: Check the OMRI List for materials or products that are not listed below.
NOTE: while there are many substances not listed under OMRI that would qualify for CNG use, any material listed by OMRI is allowed, with the exception of Rotenone, which is a prohibited substance.
NOTE: CNG allows the use of Paper Pot Transplanters.
NOTE: If you are a flower producer, please review our Considerations For Flower Farmers page.
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Allowed Substances for Produce
Fertility, Soil Amendments and Potting Mixes
Plant Pests and Disease
Weed Management and Miscellaneous
Allowed Substances for Livestock
Livestock External Parasiticides
Livestock Feed Additives
Livestock Health
Restricted Substances for Produce
Fertility, Soil Amendments and Potting Mixes
Plant Pests and Disease
Weed Management and Miscellaneous
Restricted Substances for Livestock
Prohibited Substances for Produce
Fertility, Soil Amendments and Potting Mixes
Plant Pests and Disease
Weed Management and Miscellaneous
Prohibited Substances for Livestock
Additional Useful Resources
Allowed Substances for Produce
Fertility, Soil Amendments and Potting Mixes - Allowed
Animal and plant products such as:
- bone meal
- blood meal
- feather meal
- fish emulsion
- alfalfa meal
- soybean meal
- molasses
- neem
- yucca
Compost – NOTE: for plant materials, must be heated to at least 131°F (55°C) for at least 3 days. For compost containing animal and plant materials, must be heated to 131°-170°F for at least 15 days and must be turned 5 times.
Compost tea – NOTE: same restrictions as raw manure – “It may only be (i) applied to land used for a crop not intended for human consumption;(ii) incorporated into the soil not less than 120 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion has direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles; or (iii) incorporated into the soil not less than 90 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles.”
Cover crops
Rock minerals such as
- High-calcium aglime
- Dolomitic limestone
- Rock phosphates
- Gypsum
- Sulfate of potash-magnesia
- Mined potassium sulfate
- Greensand or glauconite
- Glacial gravel dust
- Lava sand
- Granite meal
Plant Pests and Diseases - Allowed
Biological and microbial products such as
- Bacilus thuringiensis(Able©, Bt©, Dipel©, Deliver©, Foray©)
- Bacillus subtilis(Serenade©)
- Beauveria bassiana (Mycotrol©)
- Coniothyrium minitans(Contans©)
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Myrothecium verrucaria(DiTera©)
Diatomaceous earth
Hydrogen Peroxide - for sanitizing or disinfecting
Insect Netting
Minerals such as
- Elemental sulfur
- Bicarbonate, potassium or sodium
- Kaolin clay (Surround WP©)
Oils - narrow range petroleum, vegetable and fish oils are allowed for insect and pest control during the dormant and growing seasons
Pheromones and pheromone traps
Plant-derived substances such as
- Neem
- Pyrethrum
- Caraway oil
- Seed fennel
- Corn gluten
- Garlic
- Quassia
- Equisetum
- Ryania
Row cover
Soaps (non-detergent) – Approved only for use on food crops (or equipment that come into contact with food crops) as a pesticide, fungicide, or algaecide. If used as herbicide, must be used only on non-food plants or around buildings, roadways, etc.
Streptomycin Sulfate and Tetracycline- only for fire blight in apples and pears
Sticky traps
Sulfur dioxide—underground rodent control only (smoke bombs)
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) – for rodent control
Weed Management and Miscellaneous - Allowed
Mulch such as
- Biodegradable plastic
- Paper that is not glossy and does not have colored ink
- Plastic mulch, so long as it is removed at the end of season
- Straw, pine bark, wood chips and other plant based mulches that do not contain dyes or synthetic compounds
Paper pot transplanters
Plastic tarps, so long as they are removed at the end of season
Vinegar
Row cover and frost cloth
Weed barrier, so long as it is removed before it begins to deteriorate. Black plastic film must be removed at end of growing season.
NOTE for perennial growers: In perennial cropping systems, plastic mulch, weed barriers or row covers may be left in the field beyond the harvest season; however, these inputs must be removed before the plastic decomposes or breaks into pieces so that it is not possible to effectively remove all pieces from the soil.
Allowed Substances for Livestock
Livestock External Parasiticides - Allowed
Biologicals such as
- Spinosad (NatularTM)
Botanicals such as
- Pyrethrum (EquisectTM)
Essential oils such as
- Citronella
- Grapeseed
- Jojoba
- Lemongrass
- Soybean oil
Livestock Feed Additives - Allowed
NOTE: these “may not be used in amounts above those needed for adequate nutrition and health maintenance at its specific stage in life. May not be used to stimulate growth or production.”
Diatomaceous earth
Fish meal
Kelp and seaweed meal
Minerals such as
- Calcium
- Carbon
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Phosphate
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Sulfur
- Zinc
Probiotics -some products can be fed routinely, while others can only be administered in case of illness
Salt
Synthetic Phosphorous
Synthenic Selenium
Yeast
Yucca
Livestock Health - Allowed
Aspirin - to reduce inflammation
Colostrum/Whey Antibodies
Essential oils such as
- Eucalyptus
- Lemon
- Oregano
- Thymol
Glycerin – “must be produced through the hydrolysis of fats or oils.”
Iodine – topical
Mineral oil – topical
Oxytocin
Probiotics – NOTE: some products can be fed routinely, while others can only be administered in case of illness
Vaccines
Restricted Substances for Produce
Fertility and Soil Amendments – Restricted
High salt content fertilizers such as sodium nitrate (Chilean nitrate), potassium sulfate, potassium chloride: must have a plan to limit salt accumulation and prevent excessive runoff.
Raw manure – Raw, or uncomposted manure, must be applied to the soil with adequate time before harvest of crops to make sure it breaks down entirely. This is 90 days where the edible portion of the crop does not come into contact with the soil (ie tree fruit, trellised tomatoes) and 120 days where the edible portion of the crop does come into contact with the soil (ie lettuce, carrots).
Synthetic micronutrients – use is permitted if there is a documented deficiency
NOTE: Micronutrients— may only be used for fertility, and there must be a documented deficiency in the form of a soil or tissue test. Micronutrients made from nitrates or chlorides are prohibited.
This applies to the following nutrients:
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Soluble Boron products
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Sulfates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt.
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Carbonates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt.
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Oxides of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt.
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Silicates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt.
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NOTES:
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Micronutrients— may only be used for fertility, and there must be a documented deficiency in the form of a soil or tissue test.
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Micronutrients made from nitrates or chlorides are prohibited.
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If a grower does not have a documented deficiency, but still wants to add micronutrients to their soil, they can look into a CNG approved product, such as azomite.
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Plant Pests and Diseases - Restricted Substances
General use of Plant Pest Products
Approved plant pest products are allowed with the use of preventive, mechanical, physical, and other pest management practices, so that spraying is not the first and only line of defense. Some examples of pest management practices include: crop rotation, cultivating beneficial insect habitat, releasing beneficial insects trap cropping, pest monitoring, manual removal, and selecting pest resistant varieties, among others.
General use of Plant Disease Products
Approved plant disease products are allowed with the use of preventive, mechanical, physical, and other disease management practices, so that spraying is not the first and only line of defense. Some examples of disease management practices include: crop rotation, selecting disease resistant varieties, precision irrigation, pruning and trellising, manual removal, and crop diversification, among others.
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Boric acid—Must not come into direct contact with food or crops
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Copper – must be used in a manner that prevents accumulation in the soil
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Soaps ‐non‐detergent only (such as a castille or insecticidal soap); for food crops only; as a pesticide, fungicide, or algaecide.
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NOTE: If used as herbicide, must be used only on non‐food plants or around buildings, roadways, etc. Cannot be used for disease control.
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Weed Management and Miscellaneous - Restricted Substances
General use of Herbicide Products
Approved herbicide products are allowed with the use of preventive, mechanical, physical, and other weed management practices, so that spraying is not the first and only line of defense. Some examples of weed management practices include: cultivation, hand pulling, mowing, timely weeding, mulching, tarp occultation, and flame weeding, among others.
Herbicidal soaps – must not come into contact with crops, only for controlling weeds around buildings and roadways
Restricted Substances for Livestock
Atrophine - only by lawful written order of veterinarian and with a meat withdrawal period of 56 days for slaughter stock, and milk discard of 12 days for dairy
Butrophanol – only by lawful written order of veterinarian and with a meat withdrawal period of 56 days for slaughter stock and milk discard of 12 days for dairy.
Invermectin (for dairy stock and breeder stock) –only for emergency treatment, milk products from a treated animal may not be marketed as CNG for 90 days. For breeder stock, must not be used during the third trimester. It is prohibited for use on slaughter stock.
Poloxalene – only for emergency treatment of bloat.
Prohibited Substances for Produce
Fertility, Soil Amendments, and Potting Mixes - Prohibited Substances
Ash from manure burning
Chemically-processed minerals, including quick lime and sugar lime
Compost with sewage sludge
Glossy paper or paper with colored ink
Rockwool
Synthetic compost starter
Synthetic fertilizers such as
- Ammoniacal nitrogen
- Potassium Chloride
- Synthetic nitrates
- Synthetic phosphates
- Urea and uric acid
Synthetic wetting agents
Plant Pests and Diseases - Prohibited Substances
Detergent-based soap products
Heavy metal or petroleum based pesticides
Nicotine sulfate and other tobacco products
Rotenone
Synthetic insecticides, fungicides, miticides such as
- Allethrins
- Metam Sodium
- Neonicotinoids
- Synthetic Pyrethoids
Synthetic wetting agents
Weed Management and Miscellaneous- Prohibited Substances
Heavy metal or petroleum based herbicides
Micronutrient-based herbicides
Paper mulch with glossy paper or paper with colored ink
Soap-based herbicides
Synthetic and DNA herbicides such as
- 2,4-D
- Atrazine
- Dicamba
- Glyphosate
Prohibited Substances for Livestock
Livestock External Parasiticides - Prohibited Substances
Parasiticides are prohibited
Livestock Feed Additives - Prohibited Substances
Feed grown or treated with synthetic fertilizers or pesticides
Genetically modified feed or probiotics
Slaughter bi-products, urea and manure re-feeding
Livestock Health - Prohibited Substances
Antibiotics
Genetically modified probiotics
Ivermectin (for slaughter stock)
Most conventional veterinary medications
Additional useful resources
-List of Vendors of Microbial and Botanical Insecticides and Insect Monitoring Devices, from the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture: http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef124.asp
-Efficacy of OMRI Approved Insecticides and Acaricides, by Corin Pease, Dept of Entomology, University of California, Davis: http://www.vineyardteam.org/files/resources/Corin%20Pease_Organic%20Alternatives.pdf
Published Oct 31, 2018