SEEDS AND PLANTING MATERIAL

• Certified operators shall use untreated organic seed and plant material for production of organic crops.
• Seed and plant materials shall be propagated under organic management one generation, in the case of annuals, and for perennials, two growing periods, or 12 months, whichever is the longer, before being certified as organic seed and plant material.
• Producers of organic seedlings shall manage the production organically and use organic parent material.
• Operators shall use organic seed and plant material of appropriate varieties and quality.  When organic seed and plant materials are not available, conventional materials may be used provided that they have not been treated with pesticides and/or fungicides not otherwise permitted by these standards

CROP PROTECTION

• Thermal sterilisation of soils to combat pests, diseases and weeds is restricted to greenhouses and growing media used in landless production.
• Synthetic pesticides, including insecticides, fungicides, miticides and herbicides, are prohibited from use.
• Metaldehyde in traps for slugs and snails is prohibited.

Approved pest, disease and weed management methods include:

• quarantine and hygiene
• use of appropriate crop varieties
• biological control
• crop rotations
• mulching
• mowing and grazing
• companion planting
• competitive or allopathic crops
• heat, including steam, flame and hot water
• soil solarisation (restricted)
• mechanical means including cultivation

FERTILIZERS AND SOIL CONDITIONERS

• Material of microbial, plant or animal origin shall form the basis of the fertility program.
• Nutrients and fertility enhancing products shall be applied in a way that protects soil, water quality and biodiversity.
• Manures containing human faeces and urine shall not be used on land used for the production of food or animal feeds.
• Raw animal liquid waste must be from certified organic production systems and may  only be applied to green manure crops or pastures and never be directly applied to edible crops for human consumption.  
• Spent mushroom compost containing prohibited products is not permitted.
• Operators must ensure that rock-based materials are sourced from supplies that are low in potential contaminants such as cadmium.
• The use of gypsum produced as a manufacturing by-product is prohibited.
• Wood ash from treated timbers is prohibited.  
• Activators free from prohibited substances or genetic modification are permitted.
• Biodynamic preparations are permitted.
• The use of sewage sludge is prohibited on food and feed crops.  
• The use of sludges on perennial fibre crops and agro forestry is permissible provided that there is no evidence of excessive accumulation of heavy metals (eg tree plantations) nor any risk of pollution of surface or ground water.