Relating to agriculture; establishing a permanent program of grants for research in soil fertility and fertilizer use, specifying certain research requirements; imposing a refundable fee per ton of fertilizer sold or distributed in the state to support the research program, creating the soil fertility and fertilizer management account in the agricultural fund for deposit of fee receipts and appropriating money in the fund to the commissioner of agriculture for the research program; requiring and providing for creation of the fertilizer research council for persons involved in the manufacture, distribution, sale and application of fertilizer upon the filing of a petition with the commissioner requesting creation of the council, specifying certain petition signature and council membership and election requirements, requiring the commissioner to appoint a nominating committee; requiring the council to receive and review applications for research projects for funding determination purposes, requiring a certain percentage of the money spent on research grants annually to be awarded to the university of Minnesota or the Minnesota extension service, requiring council monitoring of funded projects
(ra)