266.291.  Definitions. — The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in sections 266.291 to 266.351 have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

  (1)  "Director" means the director of the Missouri agricultural experiment station at Columbia, Missouri;

  (2)  "Distributor" means any person who imports, consigns, manufactures, produces or compounds fertilizer, or offers for sale, sells, barters, or otherwise supplies fertilizers for consumption or use in this state; provided that this term shall not apply to any person who purchases fertilizer from a distributor registered under sections 266.291 to 266.351 and which fertilizer has been once sold in compliance with sections 266.291 to 266.351;

  (3)  "Essential plant nutrient" includes any element recognized as being directly required by any plant to complete its life cycle;

  (4)  "Fertilizer" includes any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin which is added to soil, soil mixtures, or solution to supplement nutrients and is claimed to contain one or more essential plant nutrients.  The term "fertilizer" does not include unmanipulated animal and vegetable manure and agricultural liming materials used to reduce soil acidity;

  (5)  "Person" includes individuals, partnerships, associations, firms, corporations, estates, trusts, receivers, or trustees appointed by any state or federal court;

  (6)  "Sale", "sold", and "sells" include exchanges and consignments for sale and means any transfer or barter;

  (7)  "Variable rate technology" means the method of applying two or more fertilizer materials which are blended at variable rates by a spreading vehicle or device during the application process.