Except as otherwise provided in this act, nurserymen, dealers and nursery agents selling or delivering nursery stock in this Commonwealth shall make application in writing by the date established in regulations and pay a fee established by regulation to the department. The department may establish in regulations minimum standards for inspecting nursery stock, including, but not limited to, size of the nursery or number of plants being grown or offered for sale. Nurserymen and dealers failing to make application to the department shall be liable for any additional expense of inspection. Fees for the Fruit Tree Improvement Program shall be established by the department through regulations developed in cooperation with a committee of fruit tree nurserymen. Fees for special inspection, phytosanitary export certification and other inspections and testing programs will be established in regulations.