This area of our program is governed by the Kansas Soil Amendment Act.

The Kansas Soil Amendment Act (KSA 2-2801 et seq.) requires registration and proof of efficacy for any substance which is intended to improve physical, chemical or other characteristics of the soil, or improve crop production. Exempted from the act are commercial fertilizers; agricultural liming materials, including ground and slaked lime; unmanipulated animal manures; vegetable compost; and pesticides.

• Soil Amendment Guidelines

Soil amendment product registrations are January 1 – December 31. The registration fee is $100 for each product. Products may be registered at any time throughout the year, however, fees are not prorated.

Submit the Soil Amendment Product Registration Application together with an accompanying label, including any document referred to on the label or attached to the container, and registration fee to register a new product. A USB in searchable PDF format is preferred for labels associated with the paper form.

If you would like to register products online, please email KDA.PestLabels@ks.gov the company name and contact information to obtain access to the online portal.

Each soil amendment product must be registered before distribution in this state. Application for registration shall be submitted to show the required label information as provided in K.S.A. 1981 Supp. 2-2804, except net weight of product.

Proof of Efficacy Data and Guidelines for Considering Soil Amendments for Registration

Guidelines Must be Followed Exactly

• Submit research data only (no testimonials) from such groups as land grant universities, USDA and other reputable research organizations.
• Research must be conducted on at least three soil types common to Kansas, with two years of data submitted for each location. At least one location should be in Kansas.
• Active ingredients of a product must be listed in the Chemical Abstracts section of the latest edition of the Merck Index (Coined chemical names are not acceptable).
• Research data submitted must be for crops commonly grown in Kansas.
• Submit analytical standards for active ingredients.
• Research must be presented in the following format:
  • Title page, including:
  • Introduction, including:
  • Materials and Methods, including:
  • Results and Discussion, including:
  • Conclusions, including:
  • Literature Cited should list references as suggested in a handbook and style manual for scientific publications.

Cooperative Agreement

Upon receipt of a registration request with accompanying data and other required information, the Kansas Department of Agriculture will forward a complete set of the information to Kansas State University's College of Agriculture Agronomy Department for review and evaluation. The director of agronomy shall, at his or her discretion, make appropriate assignments either by department, committee assignment, research, or as necessary, to allow appropriate recommendations to be made to KDA regarding the proof of efficacy on each soil amendment product.

It is the Kansas Department of Agriculture's responsibility to accept or reject an application, based on the Kansas Soil Amendment Act, professional judgment and the recommendations of Kansas State University.

Appeals or Hearings

If the applicant disagrees with the action taken by KDA, he or she may request a hearing for the product in question. Representatives of the department and the applicant will be invited to participate in an informal hearing. Other participants may be invited at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture as needed to render a scientific, professional or legal decision. Failure to reach an understanding will not prevent either party from seeking legal recourse.